


Watching Snowflakes (rewrite)

by smol_grump



Category: Frozen (2013)
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Drama, Elsa (Disney) Has Ice Powers, F/F, Human!Marshmallow, Human!Olaf, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Multi, Romance, To be quite fair I am tagging far ahead of the story plot because it is a rewrite, alright i know it sounds p angsty but i swear it gets balanced off with fluff, and a couple of these tags i use with a grain of salt because it's easier than, explicitly writing it out since i wouldnt know where to put it, g!p elsa - Freeform, human!Sven, message me for inquiry about those tags, so uh
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-13
Updated: 2018-07-11
Packaged: 2019-03-04 05:19:05
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 31,659
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13357326
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/smol_grump/pseuds/smol_grump
Summary: You'd think babysitting a bunch of young, able bodied adults would be the easiest task in the world. They can cook for themselves, clean, and have developed enough frontal lobe to make fairly rational decisions. Anna thought so too. But boy, was that assumption farthest from the truth. And now she isn't sure about who is taking care of who.





	1. Chapter 1

Anna couldn't say that she lived a normal life. She couldn't say that it was the worst, but it certainly wasn't the best either. She'd given up finding the proper descriptive for it a while ago, it was just one of those things she thought was best not to dwell on. The past is in the past. Everyone grows. Makes mistakes. Learns.

To her, it was the ability to move forward that mattered the most; being able to adapt and roll with the punches life throws. Anna liked to consider herself a seasoned veteran in the game of life, despite only being twenty-one with drool running down the side of her face.

She wiped the saliva away with some difficulty and rolled over, tangling her half-naked form even further in the covers before settling back into unconsciousness. She would have to get up soon and ready herself for the day, even though a snow storm had struck some time ago. It was Arendelle after all, their winters always came early and harsh. Nothing would get done if they stopped for every blizzard.

Anna figured that five more minutes wouldn't hurt. Of course five turned into ten, ten became twenty, and soon there were two missed calls on her phone's screen and another screaming to be answered. But she was too comfortable in her blanket cocoon.

Around the fourth incoming call Anna fumbled around the mess of sheets for her phone, checking the ID briefly before cancelling the call and haphazardly sending a text instead.

**Annanana: wh**

Another incoming call, another swiftly ended by a finger tap.

**Kri$yof: Answer your goddamn calls.**

**Annanana: I cant ansdr the phone rn**

**Kri$yof: okay why**

Anna narrowed her eyes at the blinding screen and tried to come up with a reply. Why  _didn't_  she want to answer the phone? She just didn't want to.

**Annanana: idk**

**Kri$yof: Anna.**

**Annanana: listen**

**Annanana: it's a mircle even aknnowleded u**

**Annanana: whaddup**

**Kri$yof: You're pretty damn lucky classes were canceled today then**

**Annanana: lolbye.**

**Kri$yof: No no no don't go back to sleep, I need you to come over and help me with the house**

Her eyes narrowed further, till her vision was blurred by dark lashes. Kristoff was a good friend of hers, they've known each other for most of their lives and stuck together even in their darker days. She could safely say that he was more like family than the little kin she had left.

That didn't stop her from wishing the guy stepped on a Lego every once in awhile. Anna groaned loudly, unraveling herself from the covers. She sat on the edge of the bed for a few minutes before starting her routine: picking out clothes, starting the shower, putting on a kettle of water for her instant hot cocoa and ramen.

She slipped on some sweats and a pair of converse and shuffled out the apartment and down the emergency stairs. The shower took awhile to heat up, so she used the time to get her mail.

**Kri$yof: Anna?**

**Annanana: Im up I'm up**

"Morning Mr. Fitz, wonderful weather we're having," Anna smiled at the landlord as she passed his open door. He insisted that his tenants calling him by his first name, but the ginger wanted to keep some formality between them.

The old man's head shot up from his book with a smile of his own. Fitz wheezed a laugh and called through the doorway, "Ho ho yes, hello Anna. The weather is lovely!"

"How are the grandkids? Aren't they coming to visit this week?" She pulled out her key and unlocked the box. Most of the mail she got was junk, save for the few bills and college letters that came through. Not from the King himself, not for a few years now, and yet…

There it was, a off white envelope with the monarch's  _personal_  address neatly written in the upper left corner and fastened shut with a royal seal. She pursed her lips.

"Oh yes! But I doubt they will, they aren't used to the Arendelle storms," Fitz replied.

**Kri$yof: thanks Anna really**

**Kri$yof: I appreciate it**

"I lived here all my life, and I'm still not quite used to it either. But the snow sure is beautiful when the storms settle." Anna slapped the stack of letters against her open palm and began to make her way back to the stairs.

**Annanana: So I gotta tell you somethin**

**Kri$yof: what?**

**Annanana: When I get to your place**

**Kri$yof: You mean when I pick you up**

**Kri$yof: I'm not letting you walk in this weather, I'm out anyways**

**Annanana: Why are you driving in this weather wtf**

**Annanana: I HOPE YOU ARENT TEXTING WHILE DRIVIBG**

**Annanana: KRISTOFF ISTG**

**Kri$yof: I'm at a depot**

**Kri$yof: looking at some paint samples**

**Annanana: oh okay have fun stay safe don't talk to strangers**

**Kri$yof: love you too mom. i'll pick you up in about 40 mins**

By the time she made it back to her apartment the kettle was screeching and the shower had reached optimal temperature. It only took her about fifteen minutes to get ready, and another ten to finish off her brunch.

After all was said and done, Anna had settled on the couch with the opposing envelope in her hands. She knew exactly what the letter was about, she had been expecting it for a while now, ever since her Grandma Gerda developed Alzheimer's. But there was still this anxious feeling in her stomach as she opened the parcel.

**Greetings Ms. Dhale, before any further instruction I send my sincerest condolences to your family for the loss of Mrs. Gerda Dhale. I understand that these may be trying times for you and your grandfather-**

Her grip tightened on edges of the paper. "She's sick not dead", she whispered to herself. Anna was no longer very interested in what the King had to say, instead she skimmed the short letter for it's  _real_ purpose.

**Call of duty… Your heritage… claim inheritance… effective immediately… refusal to comply… national offense…**

**Best,**

**Flynn Hastördson III, King of Norway**

"An offense? They've really upped the penalty." Anna folded the letter and tucked it carelessly back into the envelope. She didn't know why but she still felt… surprised? Startled by the call to action even though she's been anticipating it for a few years now. She spent the rest of the wait eating away at her nails and mulling over the drastic turn of events.

**Kri$yof: I'm outside**

**Annanana: coming~**

 


	2. Chapter 2

"Whoa wait—seriously!? The King actually sent you a letter requesting that you step up or whatever?" Kristoff glanced between her and the dripping paint brush he was holding.

Anna grunted as she dipped her roller in the primer and slathered a fresh coat on the drywall, "Yeah, I have the thing in my back pocket if you wanna take a look."

She didn't hesitate pulling out the crumpled page, knowing that Kristoff would want some tangible evidence. He strained to take the letter from her while keeping the brush over the can. Anna watched him read it over for a couple of seconds before returning to her task.

Kristoff was overall a good guy. He wasn't a fan of people but he was protective, loyal to a fault, and always tried to do right by his friends. The downside was that sometimes he was a little  _too_ protective and a bit headstrong. Anna sometimes reminisced how different her life would be if she didn't have Kristoff around to pull her out of sticky situations.

After about ten minutes Kristoff ran a hand through his hair, "Refusal or failure to answer this call to action will be filed as a  _national_   _offense,_  holy shit _…_ He must be bluffing."

"Oh yeah he's totally bluffing, but um… yeah that's the bomb I got dropped on me at ten-something in the morning," Anna laughed. It was empty and awkwardly placed, seeing that there wasn't anything humorous about the situation.

Kristoff picked up his brush again and began dabbing at the wall corner, "Well, what are you gonna do about it? Are you gonna take the job?"

"Nope."

"No?"

"No? I don't know!"

"Anna, pal, refusal will be filed as a national offense, sure there's a high chance that the King is bluffing but there's also the chance that he  _isn't._ And if he is there probably is some other penalty waiting for you."

Anna placed her roller down and turned to face the blonde, "Look, I never wanted to be apart of this whole—family duty shit, alright? How would you feel if you suddenly had to drop everything you had going for you to take care of a bunch of strangers because some pompous lemon man said it was in your genes."

Kristoff gave her a look of mild confusion, "Well yeah I'd be a little miffed if I was in your position too. But it's not like this is some huge, terribly placed plot twist in your life bud. You've known about this since un… primary school actually. I'm more surprised at the fact that he didn't send you a letter sooner since your grandma well um..."

She glared at him with her arms crossed over her chest. If looks could kill…

"Alright I get it, you're annoyed—angry even, probably a bit lost right now. You've gone through hell, came out alive, found yourself a cozy place in the world, and what you thought you could just  _will away_  ended up coming around to knock you back on your ass. It sucks, I can empathize," Kristoff continued to trim the wall, "You told me about your heritage years ago and I still can't wrap my head around it."

Dhale was an old surname which derived from the "Delle" in Arendelle. To put it shortly, her family played a major role in the province's history, though this knowledge is more common amongst historians and nosy Arendelle natives. Sadly, old names didn't always equate to old money.

When Anna didn't speak up, Kristoff added, "If you take the job, you'll be able to claim your inheritance money. You could pay off your student tuition, afford a better apartment, help pay for your grandparents' medication, put it in your savings, a whole bunch of stuff really… plus they can't make you work for free. If the King is asking you to do it, then there definitely is some good pay in it for you."

After a moment Anna finally muttered, "I didn't think I could will it away Kris, it just slipped my mind. I like where I am now. It could be better but it's one hell of an improvement from where I was before, and I'd like to enjoy it some more."

"Sure as hell doesn't sound like it," He snorted. Anna cringed and pulled her arms closer to her torso, Kristoff quickly regretted his remark.

"I'm being honest, it's… nice. I'm networking, I have a job, my gpa is pretty good, and I've been living on my own for a year now. Things are good, I feel stable, I feel like a normal art student scraping by," she reaffirmed. Anna regained some strength in her voice, "Is it wrong to want things to stay as they are?"

He sighed, "No… it's not. This whole thing is suspicious, honestly. If you got this request from anybody else then I'd be glad you weren't planning on taking it, but King Hastördson sent this as a personal request from you. I can't make you do anything you don't want to, but at least try the job before you decide to fuck over the system."

" _Fuck over the system_ , you make it sound like I'm planning a coup," Anna actually laughed this time and picked up her roller.

"With you, I wouldn't be surprised." Kristoff smiled a little, he was relieved that some of the tension faded away. He cleared his throat, "But yeah, give it a try alright? From how he's describing it just sounds like babysitting, which shouldn't be too hard."

"Ah but see that's what I'm concerned about, these people are around  _our age_  Kris. One of them is actually older than me by a few years from what I remember, so why in the hell would they need to be looked after?"

"From what you remember?"

"I met them like, once. When we were kids my family had a little get together with theirs and then I never heard from them again," Anna shrugged. In her opinion it only made the whole arrangement more suspicious. She couldn't remember much about them, other than their incredibly pale skin and cool touch.

And their eyes.

The redhead shuddered, rubbing off the prickly feeling on the back of her neck. It felt like she touched a memory she wasn't supposed to. Anna added, "It's been over ten years though, they're still strangers to me."

Kristoff studied her for a moment before handing her back the letter. He still wasn't used to seeing such pessimism from Anna. The redhead was usually more cheerful and forthcoming when they were together. He took a shot at lifting her mood, "Well think of it as a opportunity to make fresh connections, you like meeting new people."

"I do but these people aren't new, they're… just really estranged," Anna corrected him as she stuffed the paper back in her pocket, "You should call Sven, see what time he gets off work. It's been awhile since we've gone out as a group."


	3. Chapter 3

It's been three days since Kristoff coerced her into giving the job a shot. But Anna quickly realized that Kristoff's version of "giving it a chance" really meant setting her up with a wire and having a getaway car ready a couple blocks away—not that Anna was  _entirely_  opposed to that plan. But Sven talked them down from the ridiculous idea.

Anna let out an aggravated sigh and rubbed a hand over her face. Today she was finally going to pay these strange people a visit; after she went to her classes, of course. It was still early in the morning for her and she had time to spare.

Anna had to admit, as nervous as she was, it was a little exciting. She was curious about the family and how they managed to impact her life so much from a distance. What'd they do to be on the King's "watchlist"? Did they remember her at all? What were their favorite colors?

What better way to gain an advantage other than call up the previous caretakers, Anna thought as she hastily scrolled through her contacts and tapped on a name.

"Hello, Anna?"

"Hey Grandpa! How are you? How's Grandma?"

"Oh! Hello dear, we're doing well. Gerda and I have just been enjoying time by the fire, there's not much to do outside with all of that snowfall," Kai cooed happily into the receiver. Anna always made sure to text him a few times a day, but receiving phone calls from his only granddaughter was a real treat. There was a certain warmth in her voice that put people at ease.

"It's beautiful outside," Anna said idly.

"It sure is, though I can't help but worry…"

"Arendelle has seen worse Grandpa, nothing some shoveling and salt can't fix."

"Oh not about that but—well you'll figure it out eventually," Kai chuckled as he glanced at his wife. She was staring absently out the window, as she had been for the past half hour. The older man wasn't worried considering it was an old habit of Gerda's. He asked, "So Anna, what made you finally call me after how many days? Twelve? Seven?"

Anna rolled her eyes but smiled, "It's only been  _four_ grandpa… I've received a letter from Flynn."

"Flynn?"

"The pompous lemon man."

"Pompou—the King you mean? Honestly I'd wish you'd show him some more respect."

"I'll show him more respect when he stops twisting his lips like that in public. Have you seen his face? Like an advertisement for that American war candy."

" _Anna._ " His tone was warning

"Yeah yeah, back to the topic. I received a letter from Flynn three days ago in regards to our… family business. He wants me to step up to the task," Anna murmured as she examined her nails. There wasn't much left for her to bite.

Kai's eyes widened in alarm, "Three days ago? Why didn't you tell me about this sooner?"

"I was uh… trying to wrap my head around it all."

"Procrastinating, you mean?"

"Grandpa please," she huffed, "I've already made arrangements with them last night, Flynn gave me their email in the letter. I called to dig up some information before I formally meet them."

"Mhm… You know Anna, you'd have all the information you'd need if you sat in with Gerda and I back then, instead of getting mixed up with those ruffians."

"Pap— _grandpa, please._  I know I've made a lot of mistakes in the past."

"Mmm…"

Anna pursed her lips and waited for the strain to pass.

"Alright, I've pestered you enough for one call," Kai sighed. He shuffled across the room, adjusting the phone between his ear and shoulder, "Well let's see… There's only three of them, one girl and two boys: Elsa, Marshall, and Olaf. Elsa is… a very cautious person. It's going to take a while for her to warm up to you, she's very strict about her personal space. Marshall is a bit off, but he's a sweet lad overall I can assure you. Olaf is the only one you have to look out for. They all have a mischievous bone, but Olaf is a real trickster."

She hummed in acknowledgement, waiting for more information to come. After a moment of silence she furrowed her brows, "Grandpa?"

"Hmm? Yes dear?"

"That's all you're going to give me?"

"That's all you need, for the next few days that is. They're a special kind Anna, this is something you best learn on your own," Kai said with a smile as Gerda leaned against him. He gently grasped her hand, savoring the moment of clarity between them, "If you choose to become their caretaker, of course."

"A special kind huh, I would hope so since our family had been  _sworn_  to them. Of all things, sworn. I don't understand why… We should have the right to choose."

"We do my girl."

"Well yeah, but without being threatened. We shouldn't have to choose between freedom and, well, stability. It just doesn't sit right with me," Anna sighed, "Anyway, I gotta get going Grandpa."

"Alright dear, you have fun now. I love you."

"Love you too."

* * *

**From: ev.vyntr**

**To:** **annadelle**

**Wednesday at 2:15 should be an appropriate time for meeting. The address: 59 Pace Road, Arendelle.**

**-Ev.V**

Anna stared at the email with a daunting intensity, hoping for some sort of clue about Elsa's—or who she assumed was Elsa's—personality would appear. Well she is straight to the point, Anna thought with a wry smile.

It was 1:32 pm at the moment, Anna was waiting patiently for Kristoff to pick her up from campus. Despite all of her protesting and skepticism, she was actually a little excited to meet the Vynter family. Why it was spelled with a "y"? She had no idea. It would be a conversation starter she guessed.

A few honks made Anna snap her head up, an old copper car had pulled up to the curb. A window rolled down to reveal Sven in the passenger seat with a chewed up lollipop stick dangling from his mouth. "Get in loser."

"Wow, nice to see you too Sven," Anna said as she slid into the backseat. The inside was littered with fast food containers and smelled like hockey equipment but Anna found it nostalgic.

Sven turned in his seat and grinned at her. He was the mom friend in their little group, seeing that he was the oldest by a few years and the most responsible. He was empathetic, hard-working, and very observant. Anna always could rely on him to provide rationale.

"Ready for your first day of school?" Kristoff's adjusted his mirrors. His smile was goofy but his brows were set with worry. He still wasn't comfortable with the whole ordeal, no matter how much Sven tried to reason with him.

Anna shrugged. "I guess so, I asked Grandpa about them earlier…"

"Well, was the response positive?"

"Oh yeah, it was. He didn't tell me that much about them but he sounded like he was fond of the family. I'd be surprised if he wasn't since, y'know, he spent a lot of his time over there."

The men shared a quick glance before Sven cleared his throat, "Well, now you get to see what all of the hype was about. You have the address right? So I can put it in my phone's GPS."

"Yeah yeah, it's 59 Pace Road, Arendelle. They live on the North Mountain."

"They must have some serious money to afford the lots up there, especially that far up," Kristoff's scoffed as he pulled away from the curb and out of the parking lot. The North Mountain was a rather strange place for Arendellians. People weren't allowed to live very far up the mountain for safety reasons, most of its residences crowded close to the foot. The North Mountain brought in just as many tourists as the old castle on the fjord, though not many people ventured into it's wilds. No one knew why but it felt disrespectful to simply wander about its cryptic terrain.

"Or they could just be old names, like Pabbie."

"Old name or old money, they live in a pretty secluded area, where no one will hear a scream. And we all know cell reception can get really shitty up there, especially during the snow season."

Sven smacked the blonde's shoulder. "Oh please, don't be ridiculous. Anna don't worry about that alright, Kristoff is being a jackass."

Anna chuckled, "It's alright, that's not what I'm worried about…" She trailed off again. She focused on the commercial buildings and people they passed. The snow has only gotten worse but that didn't stop business from continuing as usual in Arendelle; Anna remembered how odd their school system was compared to other towns.

She remembered being trapped inside by homework and snow, often with…

"So what exactly did Mr. Kai say about them? Are they non-hostile?"

"It'll take a while for them to warm up to me, and they're very mischievous apparently. I'm not sure how I feel about babysitting a bunch of rascals. Hopefully they won't start messing with me until after I settle down," she said as she picked at her fingers, "There are two guys and one girl, Grandpa said they were siblings but he didn't say anything about parents or other relatives."

Sven acknowledged with a hum, reading in between the lines. Kristoff's expression didn't change at all. The rest of the ride was quiet, save for the occasional comment on the scenery or question about plans. The transition from clean roads to poorly shoveled, narrower ones made Anna nervous. She tried her best to commit the route to memory, just in case.

"Alright, the GPS says we're here— _holy shit._ " Kristoff rolled down his window to get a better view of the property. Sven looked past him and whistled, his eyes grew ten times wider, "Looks like you were right Kris, old name and old money."

The property was closed off by an old stone wall and gothic iron gate. Beyond the iron bars was a waning driveway that lead to a garage beneath the home. The house itself was set a little ways back from the entrance, separated by a front lawn caked in snow. The place was huge, taller than it was wide and with steep roofing and long windows. The architecture was much like the older parts of Arendelle, tudor-styled; though there had clearly been some restorations made to the medieval home. Smoke bellowed out of one of it's two chimneys. None of them were quite sure if the property could be called a mansion by size, but certainly was one in its significant design.

Anna gaped at the scene, it looked like something out of a fairytale. As awe-inspiring as it was, it also made the redhead more nervous. She swallowed thickly and exited the car, "Alright well, I'll catch you guys later I guess. If I don't die in the murder house that is."

"Have fun! Text us every hour. Take pics. Make some friends."

"And be careful okay? I know I've said this a million times but, something about this still rubs me the wrong way."

Anna peered at the men through the drivers window. She glanced between Kristoff's worried brown eyes and Sven's endearing hazel ones and smiled. "I'll try to make the most out of it, thanks guys."

She gave the car roof one last pat before making her way towards the old gate, which must've been left unlocked for convenience. The path to the porch looked freshly shoveled along with the driveway; her heart seemed to pound faster with every step towards the door.

_**Knock knock kn-knock knock.** _

Why didn't they own a doorbell? That would be another conversation starter, Anna figured. A couple of minutes passed before she contemplated knocking again, with more force. Kristoff and Sven were still waiting patiently in the car.

The door finally swung open when she raised her hand and Anna was hit by a gust of warm sweet air. "Hi, I'm Olaf and I like warm hugs! You must be Anna!"

She blinked a couple of times. A boy stood before her with outstretched arms and a goofy smile, he was about a few inches taller than herself. He had wild curly hair that grazed his shoulders, excitable pale grey eyes, and a bit of an overbite; his soft features were framed by a triangular face. It looked like he was swimming in his green sweater and grey shorts. Anna assumed that he was the youngest of the three. "Uh—"

A masculine, calm voice resounded off the walls as it drew closer; it sent chills down Anna's spine. "Olaf please, be polite."

"Oh, I'm sorry! You might not be a hugger. I always forget to ask," he retracted his arms and held out a hand instead. His smile became timid as Anna recovered from the shock.

"It's fine, I'm a hugger too. It's nice to meet you Olaf," Anna giggled, holding out her arms.

Olaf practically jumped into the friendly embrace and laughed, "Ooh great! It's nice to have people over for a change. You give nice hugs by the way!"

"Let her come inside. We shouldn't keep our guest in the cold."

"Oops, sorry Marshy–Anna!" Olaf stepped aside quickly, ushering the flustered redhead through the doorway.

"Marshy", or who Anna assumed was Marshall, had certainly left an impression. Unlike his brother, the man towered over her by  _at least_  a foot and had a muscular build. While they shared the same pale skin and curly platinum locks, he kept his hair in a tamed caesar cut and combed into waves. His mellow dark grey eyes and freckled nose softened his otherwise sharp features and strong jawline. Despite his casual clothing and oddly festive socks, something about him gave off a regal air.

The tall man offered a hand at arm's length. "It's a pleasure to meet you, I'm Marshall, Marshall Vynter."

Anna blushed, and hoped he didn't catch her staring. She accepted the hand with a firm grip. "Anna Dhale. Sounds like Arendelle if you say it fast enough—b-but of course you already knew that… the um name part not the anagram. Well maybe the anagram part too I mean it's kinda obvious if ya think about it… it's not really an anagram regardless I'm not sure what the proper term is but— _geez_ I'm sorry I tend to ramble."

"You have a surprisingly strong grip," Marshall commented idly as he stared at their handshake. The ginger squeaked out another apology and dropped his hand like a hot iron. She would have died on the spot if she didn't notice the slight quirk of his lips. He offered to take her coat, which Anna accepted with a nod; she didn't trust herself to speak around him.

"Are your friends coming inside too?" Olaf finally spoke up after exchange. He was hanging in the doorway, eyeing the worn down car with a childish curiosity. He appeared to be in a waving competition with Sven.

"Oh geez they're still outside? Frickin Kris," Anna muttered the last part to herself as she waved her friends off from her spot. Unknown to her, the brothers had incredibly good hearing. Olaf closed the front door when the old vehicle finally rolled away. He looked a little disappointed at its leave.

Everything was still for a moment. It was only a few seconds but it was long enough for a sharp chill to fill through the foyer. Marshall quickly spoke up, "Pardon me, I have something on the stove. I'm sure Olaf wouldn't mind giving you a tour of the house, unless you would prefer to roam on your own accord."

"A tour would be great."

"Excellent, well I'll leave you two to it," he nodded curtly before disappearing down the hall.

Olaf clasped his hands together and grinned, there was a spark in his eyes. "Ooh this is gonna be great! Let's go—oops you should probably take your shoes off before we start, Marshy and Els don't like dirt on the floor."

Anna hastily took off her shoes and placed them in the neat line by the door. As soon as she gave the thumbs up, Olaf took off. He gestured around the foyer, drawing extra attention to the coat closet and hooks they have specifically for wet clothes to hang.

The ginger however, took note of how the foyer ceiling was fully extended, exposing the second floor to those below. A sturdy railing acted as a barrier between the two.

"Aaand this hallway here leads to the living room," Olaf said, his voice grew distant as he strolled down the hall. Anna quickly jogged to catch up to him, despite wanting more time to soak in her surroundings. She noticed how he passed by an unpainted door.

"The first door to your left leads to Marshy's studio, he doesn't really like when people go in there but that's okay 'cause it's all boring stuff. Buuuut," Olaf stopped at the second door with a grin and swung it open, "Right next to it is our rec room… well billiard room."

The pool table was centered in the room for the most part, though pushed a little to the right. To the far left was a small bar fitted with stools and behind, a liquor cabinet built into the wall. A flat screen TV was mounted on the wall adjacent to the door along with a couple of nice chairs, while the opposite wall seemed to be made mostly out of built in shelves with an elegant fish tank separating the storage space straight down the middle. On the far right, a black leather couch was pressed against the wall for convenience.

"Impressive," Anna whistled, though she couldn't go into the finer details she did notice the unfinished game left on the table.

"Don't touch the balls by the way, if you ever see them lying around like that, Marsh and Els will get pretty crabby about it. They have this integrity rule and what have you," Olaf waved off near the end as he dragged her away from the doorway, "Oh and the doors across from the studio lead to our laundry closet and a bathroom, there's not much in there."

Anna didn't have time to react before Olaf pulled her into the hall across from the rec room door. All the movement was making her head spin. Olaf opened a door to their left, "And this right here is our guest room! It's pretty big I know. It has its own private bathroom and walk in closet attached, though the closet is small but… uh… yeah it's small! Wow this place needs a thorough cleaning."

The room was practically the size of Anna's living room, maybe even a bit bigger. Like the house's exterior, it was awfully reminiscent of older times and had clearly been restored. Olaf had let go of her hand this time and fidgeted at the doors entrance. Anna took the opportunity to wander around the guest area; running her hands along the dusty furniture, she admired the elegant carvings. She figured this was where her grandparents stayed for long visits.

"The bed definitely compensates for the small closet," Anna laughed as she turned to face Olaf, "but the room is gorgeous it's like the living chambers at the castle."

"The castle? You live in the castle!?" All of his nervous energy seemed to burst out at once and suddenly he was bouncing right in front of her excitedly.

Anna blinked a couple of times before letting out a more embarrassed chuckle, "O-oh, no no. I don't  _live_  there but I do get a really big discount for passes at the door since y'know… um I just liked running around in there a lot as a kid. I have the entire west wing memorized by heart— not  _entirely_  entirely but yeah you get the gist I think."

"Ooh… I've always wanted to see the inside! It looks so majestic from our balcony. I bet there's a whole bunch of secrets and old bones in the dungeons."

"You've never been to the castle?"

"When I was a toddler. I can't remember any of it…" Olaf trailed off near the end, the excitement in his eyes suddenly died.

"W-well maybe we can all go someday, like a bonding trip or something."

"Really! That'd be amazing! We don't really go into town much, as a family that is. Marshall goes when he needs something and I don't think Elsa's been down there in months," Olaf's mood jumped once again, drastically so. Anna smiled in relief, but couldn't get another word in before being dragged off by her hyperactive host.

"Ooh this is already turning out to be great! I hope you decide to stay—Ah! And the door further down on the left leads to the basement, which leads to the garage. There's just workout equipment and a cellar down there, not much to look at."

Whatever Marshall was cooking before, had started permeating the house; it smelled like heaven to Anna, "where's the kitchen?"

"Right right, the kitchen is to the… right," Olaf led them back into the open hall and led them down till they hit the open space. The area was divided by color and furniture instead of walls. To the right clearly was the living room, since it was mostly blocked off by a couch and defined by a large furry cream colored rug.

On the couch's right was a lounge chair, while to the left was a loveseat; a dark coffee table was set in the middle of the rug. A large flat screen was mounted above a fireplace on an angled wall in front of the set up, with filled shelves lining the adjacent walls. And on the farthest right of the area where old stairs leading towards the second floor; on the left, a wall that separated the living room from the kitchen. She could see Marshall standing by the stove through the wall opening.

However to the left of the entrance was an elegant dining set with a magnificent, fractal like chandelier hanging above. The kitchen entrance was straight ahead, but Anna took a moment to ogle, "Woah."

Olaf giggled, "Yeah we get that reaction from guests pretty often! I mean you're the first guest we've had in months and they're pretty rare but when we have them their reaction is: woah. Elsa and Dad designed most of this place! Well, the interior design—I helped!"

"Well you all did an amazing job, like wow. This is some fine craftsmanship. I'd commission you all if I wasn't broke as cuck," Anna said as she strolled towards the kitchen.

Olaf laughed at the term,"Cuck broke—Oh shit I gotta raid to do, You can handle yourself from here right? Like wander around and not get lost?"

"Uhh… one can hope?" She stopped short of the kitchen entrance, getting lost in a house was a very plausible feat for Anna.

"Great! Oh and call us when you're not cuck broke! We love a challenge! And thanks for the compliment!" Olaf waved her off as he ascended up the old stairs. Anna stared a moment after he left before shaking her head. He was energetic, that's for sure.

"A fast tour it seems."

The redhead gasped and whipped around, she forgot Marshall was cooking. Anna chuckled nervously, "A little too fast, my head's spinning."

"I figured, sorry about that. You'll have plenty of time to wander at your own pace." Marshall smiled; whether out of knowing humor or politeness, Anna couldn't tell. Regardless it was enough to make her chest flutter, even if his eyes remained void. She wasn't sure how she felt about "having time". Being reminded of her obligations didn't sit well with her even if the negativity was not intentional.

Anna changed the subject, "Whatever you're cooking smells absolutely amazing by the way. I mean you probably already know that but it's the best darn smell I've smelt all day."

"Thank you, I'm baking actually. It's a medovnik; I've made quite a few with different recipes. I can't say they were very successful attempts but I'm hoping this one comes out right." Even if Anna had only met Marshall that day, the sudden delight in his eyes caught her by surprise.

She tittered and rubbed her right arm to get rid of the goosebumps, "I'd be lying if I didn't say it was distracting me from the tour, or well, part tour. I haven't seen the basement or upstairs… that being said, I haven't met Elsa yet either."

Anna barely caught the slight nod of his head, as if the afterthought dawned on him as well. That vague smile returned as Marshall wiped his blade, "I actually have to run to the store for another ingredient, why not take a look around in the meantime? I'm sure Olaf missed a few details."

"Hm… yeah, that sounds like a good idea. I'll see you in a bit Marshall." Whether he just wanted her out of his hair or was planning something, Anna didn't dwell on it. She made note of the support columns strategically placed around the living room before continuing her tour, especially the one directly in the middle. The stairs were definitely something they didn't bother to replace. As light as she was, they still creaked and whined under the weight. It was an unpleasant reminder of how ungraceful she was as she tried to quietly trek up the steps.

Anna wasn't sure if she was in the same house. The air was crisp and faintly smelled of wintermint, unlike the sweet smell that devoured the lower level. The walls were a creamy white color, with dark wooden panels to match the floorboards. Even the long antique runner and gaslight sconces were left intact. She wondered if they worked, seeing that there was no light in the halls.

"Right or left, left or right. Leeeft of right or… left," she murmured to herself as she pivoted to the left dramatically and padded down the hall. Anna pulled her hoodie tighter around her, it was exceptionally colder than it was downstairs. Though she had to admit, this atmosphere matched her expectations a lot better than the first floor. Dark and cold and creaky.

It didn't take long for her to stumble upon a pair of large glass windows separated by an equally nice glass door, but what really caught her attention was the view. She wasted no time stepping onto the balcony. The snow had lightened up exceptionally, as well as the wind, but fat flakes still threatened to pile on her. It was a scene of grey, washed with the most intriguing shade of blue and speckled with white. If it weren't for the strip of land, she wouldn't have been able to tell the frozen fjord from the sky. She could see the silhouettes of boats and ports that diverged from the mass. But what stood out to her the most, was how the castle sat perfectly on the horizon; it was as if it didn't… quite belong.

Evergreens and barren trees framed the landscape and expanded outward till it engulfed her vision on either side. She inhaled deeply and held onto the railing, letting the dry winter air flood her lungs while snow cut into the warmth of her palms. After a moment she breathed out, steadily coloring the wind with the heat of her breath. Anna smiled giddily, she really enjoyed winter.

"Breathtaking, isn't it?"

Anna yelped and whipped around. She was completely unprepared for what she saw; which was probably the most beautiful woman she's ever seen. Pale skin and wavy platinum locks, traits that they all appeared to share. Though her hair was kept long and tangled in a thick braid, and she seemed to lack a certain tint that came with a lack of melanin. High cheekbones were softened by the fullness of her cheeks and heart shaped jaw. Anna tried not to linger on how cute the slight upturn of her nose was, or how her lips were an appealing shade of pink. Her figure was mostly hidden beneath an oversized Nordic sweater, save for her long toned legs. The ginger was more concerned about how tall the woman was rather than why she was wearing track shorts outside.

But what caught Anna's attention the most, were her eyes. They were a stunning steel blue that grew vibrant and dark near the pupil with flecks of ice blue forming on the outer rims. Yes, definitely breathtaking.

"Might wanna close your mouth, don't want anything foreign in there." The woman finally spoke up again, she didn't look up from the book she was reading. Anna snapped her jaw shut and winced at the audible click of her teeth.

"S-sorry! Sorry I was just wandering around and I couldn't help but notice the view and I just had to get a better look. I didn't know the scenery—I mean someone was out here. I came for the scenery! Not… you… not that you aren't very attractive or anything! Wait I mean that you  _are_ very attractive, gorgeous honestly. The view has nothing on you but uh… trees… pretty… Gods I'm so fucking weird, I'm sorry," Anna sighed heavily and buried her red face in her hand.

"It's Elsa, just so you know who you're hitting on," Elsa said with a trace of humor. Her voice twisted Anna's stomach in a knot.

"Um, Anna… as you've must have realized by now," she replied in a croaky voice. She peeked to realize Elsa still hadn't looked up from her book. A moment of silence passed over them, Anna wondered if it was just as awkward for Elsa as it was for her. But then again, it was Anna who was standing around shivering, not Elsa; who must have been out much longer than she has and looked completely unfazed by the snowfall. Weird, she thought.

"Would you like to go inside?" Elsa suggested after a moment.

"Yes… yeah that'd be nice," Anna admitted bashfully as she shuffled in place. The balcony was oddly clear of snow, save for the thin layer that had recently fallen. Anna's breath caught as Elsa finally looked up from her book.

Like Marshall's, her striking eyes gave away nothing; her smile a little too careful to go unnoticed. Elsa stood up after marking her page and picking up her red mug. She hummed, "Huh… not bad."

"Wha—"

"Come along, wouldn't want you to freeze," Elsa called over her shoulder before taking a sip from her mug.

"Right! C-coming," Anna stammered as she ambled towards the glass door. During their trek back to the living room, Anna noticed she was at least three inches shorter than her current hostess.

Anna took a seat on the soft leather couch, as instructed, while Elsa briefly disappeared into the kitchen to fetch her requested drink. She took the scarce moment to gather her bearings and take in the warmth of the ongoing fire. The visit definitely was going better than she expected, not that she had many expectations to begin with. Olaf definitely was a sweetheart, though she had yet to see any ulterior motives like her grandfather warned. Marshall was also, like her Grandpa said, well mannered despite his off putting detachment. Elsa however...

"Hello…" that clear, unreadable voice snatched her from her thoughts. Elsa stood in front of her, holding out a mug of hot cocoa for her to take, "still dazed from the cold?"

"A little. Thank you, by the way—for the hot chocolate." Anna grasped the mug as fast and carefully as she could, but it only turned out awkward. She sipped quietly at the warm chocolaty liquid and tried her best to hold back her moans of delight. Keyword being  _tried_.

"Good, good," Elsa hummed as she took a seat on the farthest end of the couch and tucked her legs daintily beneath her. She looked the redhead over once more before continuing, "so I take that you're well aware of your role here."

Straight to the point and awfully blunt, Anna mused, it was clear that it was Elsa she was emailing the past few days. Hearing that clipped tone in person did ruffle her feathers a bit. She took another sip before replying with a smile, "Maybe you could give me a recap?"

"Well.. Basically you've been sent here to keep a bunch of spoiled brats—that's us—from getting out of control and destroying Arendelle."

Anna snorted, "Ah yeah, that's right. Babysitting."

"Olaf prefers the term "supervising". He doesn't like being treated as a child."

"Oh, sorry. I'll keep that in mind… how old is Olaf by the way?"

Elsa swished the contents of her cup around slowly, completely ignoring the apology, "Olaf is eighteen, and Marshall is turning twenty-one this upcoming month."

"And you?"

"Twenty-three."

"Oh… well how much damage can a bunch of brats really do anyway?" Anna half joked with a nervous laugh. Holding a decent conversation was gonna be hard with this one, she could already tell.

The blonde hummed, "You'd be surprised at what we're capable of."

The statement made her skeptical. She teased, "I dunno, that sounds sketchy to me."

"I guess we'll have to make a believer out of you," Elsa said with a faint quirk of her lips. Their eyes met, and Anna could have sworn she caught a glimpse of that impish nature Kai had warned her about. She squirmed and tried to will her blush away. What Kai  _should_  have warned her of, was how attractive they'd be. As much as she hated to admit, she was a sucker for a pretty face.

"U-uhm, so..." Anna cleared the gay from her throat. She lost her train of thought, "You did a wonderful job on the house! The interior design I mean. I wanted to let you know before I like, forgot again…"

"Thank you, Interior design is not really my strong suit… neither is color theory. So this was good practice for me…" Elsa clarified after a pause, "I major in architecture, interior design is one of the "highly recommended" courses. You know, the ones that are forced by your counselor."

"Ooh. Haha trust me I know a thing or two about those  _highly_   _recommended_  courses. But I have to say, if this is just practice to you then I'd love to see your final projects because your choice in furniture is amazing."

"Hmm? Not going to compliment my color choices too?" There was that mischievous glint in her eye again.

Anna quickly looked down and giggled, "Mm, as a fine arts major I'm a little hard to impress in that department."

"Really now? Well that's a challenge I'm willing to accept."

"A challenge?"

"Impressing you."

"O-oh—ah!" Anna jolted forward, nearly spilled her hot chocolate on the  _white furry_  carpet. She gave Elsa a apologetic smile before setting the mug on a nearby coster, "Sorry! Sorry, I'm easily spooked… uh, excuse me for a second."

Her phone had a particularly strong vibration module. She fished it out of her back pocket, an incoming phone call from Kristoff. Anna rolled her eyes, canceled, and responded with a text in the group chat.

**Annanana: guys wtf**

**Svenny: Why aren't you texting us every hour :(**

**N-ice guy: When do you want us to pick you up? Is everything going alright?**

**Annanana: in a hour and a half I guess**

**N-ice guy: You guess?**

**Annanana: I dunno daddy whenever you're ready**

**N-ice guy: Oh**

**N-ice guy: _My God_**

She tucked her phone away before she could read the next response, and picked up her mug again. Anna shifted her attention back to the attractive blonde across the couch, who had decided to stretch her legs. Anna cleared her throat softly, "So, you're attending college? Which one?"

"Oh, DU. I take the online courses, Marshall also attends DU. I assume you go there as well?"

"Yep! Online classes would explain why I haven't seen you around, I'm kind of a campus rat. Does Marshall take online classes too?"

"For his humanities and cores. I don't know what he does for his art classes,  _Marshall_ ," Elsa emphasized his name as she glared into the kitchen. Marshall peeked at the pair through the wall opening and waved, his smile was faint but sly.

Anna chuckled into her cup. She guessed there was some tension, or a matter she'd have to dive into another time. But right now she'd rather observe them, "And what about Olaf?"

The reply sounded automated. "Home schooled, Gerda and Kai taught him. Though the last few years he's been doing independent study."

"Ooh, I see. How does— _skittles_ ," Anna spazzed, nearly spilling her hot chocolate  _again._  The YMCA intro was blaring from her back pocket, and wreaking havoc on her left cheek. She quickly fished out her phone and pressed talk, "Oh my god?"

"You were ignoring our messages!"

"Because I was busy?"

"Yeah well I'm outside waiting."

"Why in the hell—"

"Whenever Daddy's ready remember?"

"God I hate you sometimes," Anna groaned as she wiped a hand down her face, or at least was about to till she remembered the mug was still in her hand.

"Love you, see you outside." Kristoff had ended the call before she could get another word in.

Anna glared irritably at her call log before turning back to Elsa, who had gotten more comfortable over the brief interruption. Though the blonde's mouth was hidden there was clear amusement in her eyes, "your ride is here."

Anna blushed with a shaky smile, "Y-yeah, sorry about that. My friends are um... parental, for lack of better term."

Elsa waved dismissively, "Nothing to apologize for. It's better to leave early, the roads up here can be awful. I assume you know where the coat closet is?"

"Yep! Was the first thing on Olaf's tour," Anna placed her mug on the coffee table for the last time and stood up," It was a pleasure meeting you."

She decided against extending her hand, based on her grandfather's heed. Instead she settled on a genuine smile, which Elsa returned with a vague one.

Marshall had politely walked her to the door and helped her with her coat before wishing her a safe trip home. He truly was a gentleman in Anna's eyes. She made sure to lock the iron gate before leaving the property and slipping into Kristoff's old car.

As soon as she closed the door Sven turned in his seat and grinned, "Soo, how'd it go? How were the kids? Did the inside look nice?"

"It went better than I expected… prolly cause my expectations were low but! Yeah, way better than I expected. The inside was impressive too, they actually designed the interior. They also have a really nice view of the frozen fjord! You can see downtown and even the castle from up here."

Sven ooo'd, but Kristoff had cut in, "But what about them? What are they like?" He was bent forward, paying close attention to the winding road. But the passengers could tell that his lips weren't pursed from concentration.

Anna tucked a strand behind her ear. "Well… Olaf, the youngest, is eighteen and really excitable. Grandpa told me to watch out for him the most but he's really adorable. Marshall was like Grandpa said, a little off putting but a gentleman definitely. He's older than me by a few months. Elsa however…"

Anna trailed off. She didn't know how to describe Elsa. "I'm still trying to get to know her. I mean, I still need to get to know them all but she's hard to peg—aloof, I guess? Definitely mischievous—I don't know. She's twenty-three."

"But overall they seemed… detached, Especially the older two. Like there's a disconnect between their actions and their eyes, it's more noticeable when they smile or like, one-eighth of a smile," Anna sighed and rubbed her arm. Their eyes still made her nervous.

"One-eighth of a smile?" Kristoff parroted.

"Yeah it's like they took a half smile and nerfed the hell out of it."

"Well okay…"

Sven asked, "You think you'll get along with them in the long run? This  _is_ going to last for years, if you decide to."

"I'm not sure, I still don't even know why I have to watch over them or  _why_  they need to be monitored like this. I'm kind of afraid to ask, they all strike me as wildcards…"

Kristoff's eyes narrowed, "Yeah well, if things do hit the fan you know who to call right?"

"Ghostbusters?"

"C'mon Anna I'm being serious right now."

"Yes,  _dad_ , I know you'll come running," exasperation was practically oozing out of her mouth. They went over this often enough that Anna has every alternative response burned into her memory. The ruggish blonde winced at the sharpness of her tone.

A few moments of straight radio music and Sven humming passed between them all before Anna leaned over and squeezed Kristoff's arm reassuringly, "I promise you'll be the first person I'll call."


	4. Chapter 4

**From: ev.vyntr**

**To:** **annadelle**

**I know you don't want this job, and I'm well aware of how this works for you. So I have a proposition in mind.**

That was the email Anna received later that night. Blunt but not quite abrasive, just odd.

**A deal?**

**-Anna**

**We'll sign off on the paperwork that will legalize you as our caretaker. However, we won't report your absences during the entirety of this "career". If you kindly choose to continue with your normal life with very limited interaction with ours, it is fine. Of course, you will have to be present for more important situations such as doctor appointments and evaluations. We'll make sure to notify you a minimum of a week in advance and provide you with the information you need for said events.**

**You will have full claim to your inheritance money in addition to receiving a biweekly salary. You will also receive health benefits, such as a list of insurance plans to choose from for you and any dependents you would like to file, as well as retirement plans.**

**But in return, you cannot decide any legal actions regarding our well being without consulting with us AND gaining our approval. And, most importantly, you will have to deposit twelve(12) chocolate bars in the mailbox every three weeks: four(4) mint flavored tim tams, four(4) milk chocolate toblerones, and four(4) of any kind.**

**We are not open to negotiation.**

**-Ev.V**

**Can I sleep on it?**

**-Anna**

**We'll need an answer by next week.**

**-Ev.V**

**That's fair**

**-Anna**

**Nice, night then.**

**-Ev.V**

**Wait, can I ask you a question?**

**-Anna**

**Can you?**

**-Ev.V**

**may i,,,,**

**-Anna**

**You may.**

**-Ev.V**

**What placed you on the King's watchlist? I don't know you so I can't say your evil, ceartainly not saints either but? what's up ? ?with that? you told me about having the capacity to destroy arendelle and beyond so you have to be pretty dangerous so um**

**Why? And how? And why do you all think I can keep you in check. I can barely put food in my mouth with my eyes open**

**-Anna**

**We can build snowmen with our brains. And I don't think you can keep me in check, just for the record. So I advise you to direct that question elsewhere.**

**-Ev.V**

**Aaaalrighty then, Good night**

**-Anna**

It's been four days since the exchange. Anna had spent the entire time mulling over the proposal. She couldn't deny that it was a good deal, definitely the best damn deal she's ever been offered. She would essentially be getting paid to leave them alone for the rest of their lives.

But there was something about the situation that made her skeptical; and it certainly had nothing to do with Elsa's reply to her last question. Anna had chalked that down to Elsa being… Elsa, even if she didn't have a proper explanation as to what makes Elsa  _an Elsa_  since she had never met an Elsa before. She hasn't told her grandparents about the offer, nor her close friends. She felt as though it was better kept between the two of them. Or well, between her  _and_  the Vynters.

That's why she decided she would pay them a visit today, to talk business in person. Of course, it was on short notice so Anna took the liberty of buying them chocolate to soften the blow. That's why she was in the grocery store at ten in the morning, fighting off Kristoff's skeptical stare.

"I'm just saying, it's really weird that you  _want_  to go over there all of a sudden after you made a big fuss about it," he huffed, "Now here you are sorting through all of chocolate bars to pick the, quote-unquote, primest bars for them."

Anna rolled her eyes and continued combing through the store's candy section. She decided to use part of Elsa's deal as a guideline; getting the tim tams and toblerones was easy, it was picking out the remaining four bars that she was stumped over. She didn't want to pick the  _wrong_  chocolate bars— not that she thought there was a bad chocolate out there, but she wanted to leave a good impression on Elsa. Besides, being around her favorite treat always gave her a bit of a contact high. She really thought she could use the extra lift in mood.

Anna rolled her eyes. "Well maybe I had a change of heart? Maybe I want to give them a chance before I write them off completely? And I didn't make that big of a fuss!" She had a pique in curiosity.

"Man, this family business thing is soo stupid! I don't wanna give up my daily routine because some fucknut with a crown said I had to. I wanna be free and wear my hair out and ride off into the sunset on the best dick I can find for the next couple of weeks without any attachments," Kristoff mocked her in a high pitched voice, earning him a solid punch to the arm. He hissed and rubbed the sore spot.

Anna had set him straight with an exasperated glare. He had definitely struck a chord. "It was  _not_  that big of a _fuss_ … and don't grip the chocolate so tightly, you'll melt it with your bear claws."

Kristoff frowned and readjusted the bars of candy he was holding for her. He spoke up after a moment, "May I ask what made you have a change of heart? If that is the case here."

She pursed her lips as she weighed the pros and cons of telling Kristoff about the proposal. Anna finally shrugged, "They seem like interesting people and none of us are really happy with this arrangement so I wanna see how we all can make the most out of it. The chocolate's a peace offering, y'know?"

"Uh… huh." He sounded just as skeptical as he was before, maybe even a bit confused.

"Pacified?"

"For the time being. This isn't over Dhale."

"Ooof course not… and—uhm, sorry for punching you," Anna added the last part sheepishly and patted his bicep.

He smirked, "You do realize apologizing kinda destroys the point you were trying to drive home."

"Hmm, well maybe I should drive my point into another arm?"

* * *

Anna felt her anxiety spike and settle in her stomach as she was greeted by a gust of sweet smelling air, just like before. But instead of Olaf, it was Marshall who welcomed her inside with a faint, cryptic smile. She giggled nervously and waved, "Hey Marsh—ssh _all._ I mean Marshall! Sorry for coming on short notice. I probably shoulda planned a day ahead… or came a day later. Since we don't have like a schedule for my visits set up yet."

"No no you're fine, it's not as if we have plans. You're not intruding on anything," Marshall replied as he stepped aside, allowing the slighter woman in.

Anna returned his smile with her own charming one; she tried her best not to read too much into his tone. She made sure to wave Kristoff goodbye and wipe her boots before stepping inside, "How's your day been?"

"It's been quite well so far, nothing noteworthy. How about you?" Marshall offered to take her coat, which Anna gladly accepted. She took the opportunity to observe him while his back was turned. The t-shirt he wore was very form fitting, and also smeared with something she couldn't quite place. She could see the slight flex of his trapeziuses and deltoids as he completed the mundane task; Anna mentally kicked herself and diverted her attention back to the substance smeared on his shirt and hands.

She finally replied, "It's been alright, just the simple things. I had coffee, went to class, stopped by a few stores, and now here I am! I did bring you guys something though, uh… here!" Anna pulled out the four toblerones she had stashed in her bag.

Marshall was caught by surprise—genuine, visible surprise that Anna could see in his arched brows and widened eyes. A few seconds passed before he recovered and gracefully took the honey infused chocolates from her. His cheeks had the  _slightest_  shade of pink as he thanked her, "Thank you, that was… unexpected. Toblerones are actually my favorite."

Anna made note of his reaction, it was clear to her that only Elsa played a hand in the proposal. She grinned, "You welcome! Which reminds me, how did the Medovik come out?"

They started to amble down the hall, slowed by conversation. Marshall shifted the bars in his hand. "Better than the last, but didn't have the consistency I was looking for. Elsa and Olaf said it was too dry."

"Ah, I wish had a chance to try it. Were you in the middle of another attempt? Gotta lot of white on your shirt."

He tugged on the hem of his tee with his free hand, "It's just plaster, I was working on a sculpture before you came."

"Oh! Well don't let me stop you, especially if you were in a groove. I sure hate when Kris and Sven mess up mine." Anna slowed to a stopped next to the open studio door.

Marshall quirked a brow, his smile became a lot less tense, "A groove?"

"Yeah, you know, a flow? Inspiration flow, art groove uh… vibing!" She gestured with her arms, excited that the stoic man was becoming easier to read. He chortled, though it paled in comparison to Anna's giggle as they joked.

"Well thanks for understanding my art flow, and for the toblerones. I appreciate it..." Marshall chuckled as he leaned against the studio's entrance.

"Aha no probl—or er, you're welcome!"

"It really is nice to see you again," He added before retreating into his workspace, the door closing behind him. He sounded genuine in his response.

"Y-you too," Anna called after him. After a few seconds of silence she took the opportunity do a fist pump and a little dance in her spot. There was a stupid grin plastered to her face as she strolled down the hall, she could hear gunfire and mock profanity coming from the living room.

As Anna expected, Olaf was sprawled out on the couch with a ps4 controller; his furrowed brows and narrowed eyes contradicted his languid posture. She recognized the old Call of Duty game from her childhood with Kristoff. She spoke up after inching closer to the couch, "Oh hey you have Modern Warfare, nice. I used to be a footman myself, nothing but a pdw and an extended mag to my name.."

Olaf snapped into sitting position and whipped around. He beamed at her,"Oh Anna! Hi! How're ya?"

"I'm doing alright! Just thought I'd visit for the day, hang out. How bout you?" Anna replied nonchalantly as she made her way around and plopped down next to the blonde.

"I'm feeling pretty good! I mean I've been kinda bored lately since Marshall and Elsa are all wrapped up in their projects. I don't wanna bother them… Marshall doesn't mind playing with me but I don't wanna annoy him too much," Olaf had completely disregarded his current free-for-all session to talk to her. He sighed, "And Elsa's been so busy lately I don't want to bother her… and Marshmallow only has paws…"

She gave him a look. "Marshmallow?"

"Yeah Marshmallow! He's our cat—well, Marshall's cat but we named him. Do you wanna meet him?"

"M-maybe some other time," Anna chuckled nervously, "Your uh, match ended by the way."

Olaf glanced back at the large screen and the amount of green texts jumping on the top left. He shrugged and murmured dejectedly, "Oh, well rip. It'll queue on its own."

"Mind if I join in for a few rounds? I'm feeling a bit nostalgic," She offered a charming smile. It wasn't nostalgia, but the sullen expression the blonde wore as he stared at the screen that caused her to propose. It reminded her of that awful feeling she had years ago.

Besides, she  _did_  say she was there to visit. There was no need to get to business, her confrontation could wait. Olaf grinned and scrambled to grab a second remote, "Hell yeah you can join! How good are you at Mortal Kombat btw?"

"I absolutely, without a doubt, suck at Mortal Kombat."

"You know what, that's okay. You just gotta squirm as I destroy you."

"However! I am spite motivated so who knows, I just might kick your ass," Anna shrugged as she waited for the controller to connect. The next few hours were spent exchanging good natured shit talking and cycling through games. Bags of chips and cookies decorated coffee table, bottles and cups where accentuated by coasters. Marshall passed by on occasion to chat and clear away junk that caught his eye.

During that entire time however, not once was Elsa spotted. Or even mentioned, Anna noted. She hummed quietly before casually dismissing herself from the living room for a "butt breather", as Olaf liked to call it. The redhead awkwardly trampled up the steps as she thought about where the enigma could be.

The second floor was cold and dark, just like before. It didn't help that the sun had already set, but Anna bared through it regardless of her nyctophobia. She checked the balcony first before venturing towards the other side of the level. There were two doors to her left, another on the right, and one at the end of the corridor where it forked into another. Light peeked from the right diverging hall. It was faint but it gave Anna some hope.

She tiptoed down the hallway and around the illuminated corner. The left side of the path was the railing she saw earlier that day, while to her right was another ominous looking door. Slowly, cautiously she padded towards the entrance straight ahead where the light spilled.

Anna quickly made note of her family crest painted on the door. Not the Arendelle crest—but her  _family_  crest. The difference was the intricate set of laurels in place of the common, bold one with Roman numerals below it. At a glance it seemed like the walls were  _made_  up of bookshelves, but then Anna caught the patches of dark teal wallpaper and wood paneling in between. Anna guessed it was the biggest room in the house, not counting the open set up below. A third of the room had been raised, muchh to Anna's distaste. The last thing she needed in her life were more stairs.

A full Victorian styled living room ensemble took up the lower section along with intriguing displays of artifacts, maps, and a wine cabinet. And to her surprise, an unlit fireplace.

On the platform however, Anna was more curious about the two vastly different styled desks pushed together, and the woman that sat behind them. She crossed her arms over her chest, "How's the weather up there?"

Elsa replied, not looking up from her typing, "A little dry. And the weather down there?"

Anna bobbed her head in the way you'd pretend to be considering something. She was leisurely walking around the lower level, getting a closer look at the decor. "A little chilly."

She made a slow bee line towards the steps, but stopped short of the second couch. She leaned against it's back. Anna felt like she was intruding, but she thought it would be worse to simply  _leave_  after engaging.

"So uh, about the arrangement..." Anna started but quickly trailed off. The chocolate bars in her bag suddenly felt heavy.

"Have you come to a decision?"

"I noticed that it wasn't a  _group_  decision."

That certainly caught Elsa's full attention, Anna thought. She did however, feel a bit of tension now that those steely eyes were focused on her. Elsa shifted her office chair and folded her arms on the front facing desk. The added height from the platform and Elsa's natural disposition made Anna… just as annoyed as she was intimidated.

That wasn't going to stop her though. "Shouldn't Marshall and Olaf have a say in this as well? The terms and conditions and stuff. This involves them too."

"They've trusted me with all the business and financial affairs, so I speak for the three of us."

Anna pursed her lips, "Mmm I don't know. If they did trust you, then one would assume they'd know about the proposition. Or rather, you'd tell them while confidently knowing they'd agree. Seems more like a dictatorship than anything."

"As one would assume if they weren't familiar with how we operate. I filled the position naturally, since I am the eldest."

"Ah, so it's a  _monarchy_. Forgive me, your Majesty. Maybe you can enlighten me sometime," Anna jabbed, half jokingly. Perhaps, calling her "her majesty" was going a bit far, but the irritation Elsa briefly expressed was satisfying. Now they were both annoyed.

Elsa gave her one last look before she stood up and rounded the desks. Anna's words seemed to catch in her throat as the blonde somehow managed to look elegant in track shorts and a ruined jumper. She didn't even notice Elsa had passed her until she heard a cabinet open.

"Want a drink?"

"Oh! Uh y-yeah, I'll just take whatever you're having." She felt like it would be impolite to decline.

Elsa chortled to herself, Anna felt a chill run down her spine. "You can sit if you want, you know. I have enough faith that your plebeian hands won't leave stains."

"Oh gee, I'm  _honored_  that I've gained your trust so quickly." She did have a seat, as smoothly as she could muster, "Sorry, by the way. For pulling you from whatever you were doing."

"Not an issue at all. I needed a break," Elsa handed her a glass, then placed the bottle on the table before joining her on the opposite side of the couch. "So, do you have any other questions regarding my methods…"

Anna swirled the liquor around in her glass. She wasn't sure what to make of Elsa's motives. She pursed her lips, "Why did you email the proposal? With a gmail of all things. Since you are on the list I'd assume that you're being monitored by… whoever."

"Ah, you're more perceptive than I thought."

"And I think Grandpa was being a little generous when he calls you mischievous."

Elsa smirked into her glass. She replied after taking a swig, "That may be true yeah. Believe me, I have no intention of getting you in trouble. I just like messing with Flynn."

"Flynn—The pompous lemon man?"

That earned her a laugh. An open, warm laugh that set off butterflies in her stomach. "Pompous lemon man?"

"You betcha. The way he twists his lips in public, it cannot go unchecked any longer. People need to call him out on that. And I'll be damned if I don't start the fire."

"Oh god the lip twisting, and the way he walks? It's like he has a stick permanently installed in his ass."

"Who couldn't forget that walk? Don't even get me  _started_  about his awful attitude. The man doesn't even know how to hold a proper conversation!"

"Certainly not with the public. He's just so pretentious."

"Bet you he thinks he's too good to shit," Anna challenged before taking a sip of her drink.

"Bet  _you_  he's permanently constipated."

Anna bursted into another fit, "You're probably right." They shared glances as the fits of laughter, roasts, and liquor died down. Glances that perhaps lasted longer than the friendly acknowledgement should. Looks that left behind a rosy dust along their cheeks.

Anna tucked a tuft of hair behind her ear as she bashfully looked at the drink in her hand. She smiled, bottom lip caged between her teeth to hold back a chortle not aimed at the Lemon King.

Elsa decided she liked the way dark copper framed such an odd shade of blue. She masked her own flutters with another slow sip from her glass.

"So, what would you do if you  _did_  manage to get me in trouble?" Anna asked, a bit of laughter left in her voice. The light-hearted tone somehow complimented her knitted brows.

"Well, I'd just divert the attention away from you. From their standpoint: I did offer the proposal and you, given your record, wouldn't have known any better if you  _did_  accept. The boys wouldn't be held liable since they wouldn't have known anything about the arrangement. The blame would fall on me… Also it would prove that they've been violating policy, since they are only allowed to see who I email and message, not the contents of it. So while I'd be in trouble, I'd also be able to have them tried in court."

Anna mulled over the plan, "So you'd be the scapegoat."

"Not necessarily, since I orchestrated the whole thing it's only fair that I take the hit if things  _do_  take that turn."

"And if I declined that offer?"

"You'd look good to them. you left the offer in the air, by the way. So if you wanna claim those brownie points..." Elsa winked.

The ginger did chortle this time, "So was the proposal just a rues or?"

"No, the proposal still stands. Though in addition you'll receive forty percent of the monthly allowance. Some other benefits from the job are unlimited excused absences from college classes, discounted transportation, and well… yeah discounts. The downsides are—well I'm sure you're already well aware of those."

She nodded, swirling the melting ice in her glass. Elsa stood up and padded back to the liquor cabinet for the bottle. Anna noted the lack of an ice bucket… or freezer unit, "Can I propose a third option?"

"Hm?"

"A trial period."

"Wanna get your money back after thirty days too?" Elsa quipped as she sat back down and offered a refill.

The biting undertone wasn't lost on Anna though. She accepted and smiled sheepishly, "No it's just… You guys have impacted my life for as long as I can remember, whether I wanted you to or not—you all have just been this intangible force. Not that that's your fault, it's mine for avoiding this all that time. You're stuck with me too, you didn't ask for this either. But before I decide anything, I want to know…"

Anna took a deep breath and sighed. Elsa decided to finished her thought with a wry, knowing smile, "What makes us so special?"

She sputtered, "I wasn't—well in layman's terms, yeah. That's part of it, I don't get what makes you the big cheese. But I just figured it'd be nicer to know each other, at least before either of us decides we don't want to be an active part in either of our lives."

Elsa stared at her for a moment, calculating what she had just heard, "Either of us?"

"It concerns both of us, I don't want this to be my decision alone. Even though you've made yours apparent, I want to be thorough."

"Alright… what's your proposal?"

"Four weeks, I'll actively be a guardian for four weeks. If I decide that I want to take your offer then I'll go. If I decide to stay  _but_  you decide you don't want me to be here, then I'll agree to the proposal—however, it has to be a group decision between the three of you."

Elsa nodded slowly, going over the words in her head. Her face gave away nothing, much to Anna's dismay. "Six weeks," she finally spoke up.

"Six weeks?"

Elsa clarified, "In that time, we'll cover a fair amount of responsibilities and decisions you will have to take—as a guardian. Our true colors show in the midst of conflict, but also  _when given power_." They finished the statement off together with a shared look.

Kai would often say that phrase, but something about Elsa knowing it made Anna's skin crawl. She took a long, overly generous swig from her glass. Her unease was obvious but she was glad the blonde hadn't mentioned it. Anna smiled, "Six weeks is nothing in comparison to a lifetime anyway, right?"

"However long a lifetime may be," Elsa added before standing once again to retrieve more items, "I have a copy of the forms that we will have to sign, Kai was trusted with the official documents. And also what's your phone brand do you have."

"Samsung?"

She came back with a stack of papers but the two small black pieces she held between her index and thumb caught Anna's attention more.

The ginger squinted, they looked like charger adapters. "Complimentary charger pieces for my outstanding behaviour? Gee thanks."

Elsa rolled her eyes, but the cheesy comment still managed to pull a ghost of a smile out of her. She sat down again, but this time in the middle of the couch; far closer to the skeptic than before. Anna tucked her hair back again.

She held up one to review the green dot on its surface."Are you familiar with encryption—"

"Is this an asymmetric encryption key?" Her excitement got the better of her.

"No, this one is on-the-fly. The asymmetric is still in process. But good, You're knowledgeable, this makes explaining easier. Just like the emails, any calls and messages sent by the boys and I are tracked. Which is disturbing, to say the least. Especially when you want to be left to your own devices. So Olaf took the initiative and made a private channel and software for communication. Which is on… here," Elsa held up the second black piece with a red dot on its front, "I'll leave the rest for Olaf to explain later, since it is his work after all."

Anna took the mini set up in her hand and stared with awe. She'd never seen drives that small before, that wasn't a disk. "This is fucking surreal," she whispered to herself.

Elsa was busy refilling her glass for the fourth time, "Are there any other questions you have for me?"

The ginger hummed quietly before finally asking, "Where'd you get the ice?"

Elsa quirked a brow, "I told you before, didn't I? Snowmanakinesis."

There was an aggravated sigh.

* * *

Anna flopped back onto her bed, too familiar with the loud screeching of metal springs to be concerned with her mattress' integrity. Instead she focused on her phone that had just finished restarting, like Olaf said it would after installing the software on the red dotted drive.

She rummaged through her apps then to open her recent messages. She scrolled passed all the recent conversations, past the pseudo ones she started with the Vynters to keep "Big Brother" pleased—as Olaf had put it. Nothing out of the ordinary, she thought then went back to the home screen and inserted the encryption key as instructed.

"Well I'll be damned…" There it was. A blue, generic looking icon had appeared amongst her other generic apps. She tapped it hesitantly, her heart leaped when the screen went black. Text faded into existence in that typical, Courier New font; accompanied by an equally typical transparent text box outlined with white.

_What's the magic word? :)_

Anna entered the twenty character password they had given her, grateful that it was a one time deal. The screen went black again, then another, eye-roll provoking text fade-in.

_I like your stuff, kid. What do you call yourself?_

She paused, a sense of dread passed over her. They never told her whether or not her username could be changed. "Uh… fuck it," Anna keyboard smashed and let autocorrect decide her fate.

**Duck cuck.**

_WELCOME DUCK CUCK! :D_

Anna regretted immediately. A second later she was bombarded by a series of messages.

**Ooflaf:** LMAOOO

**Elsassa:** why though.

**Ooflaf:** DUCK CUCK

**Duckcuck:** lisren

**Ooflaf:** IM CRYING

**Duckcuck:** i cn explain

**Elsassa:**  don't, that question was rhetorical.

**Duckcuck:** no pls look

**Duckcuck:**  i left it to fate and

**Marshmallow:** Your name isn't permanent by the way, if you're feeling some…

**Duckcuck:** i regret

**Marshmallow:**  Regret.

**Elsassa:** gdi marsh, why'd you tell her?

**Marshmallow:** Unless Olaf decides to admin override and lock that permission.

Anna quickly went to settings but it was already locked, she groaned.

**Duckcuck:** olaf pLEASE

**Ooflaf:**  lolololol

**Elsassa:** amazing, truly

The activity continued for a while before the group chat finally died down to banter between Anna and Olaf. Marshall and Elsa would comment occasionally, but it was mostly the more talkative pair sending memes: old ones versing new. She smiled as they eventually shifted into farewells at three in the morning.

That's when, much to her surprise, she received a direct message from a particular blonde.

**Elsassa:** thank you, btw. for the chocolate bars. It was unexpected and i didn't get to thank you earlier.

Anna grinned and took a moment to bask in the warm fuzzies she felt in her chest.

**Duckcuck:** welcome! I jus figured itd be nice to do

**Duckcuck:** since i popped in on short notice yesterday

A minute passed but it felt like forever to the redhead so she quickly typed.

**Duckcuck:** well, gnight ^ ^

**Elsassa:** sweet dreams,

Sadly, Anna was too busy overthinking to do just that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hulloo. updates will be happening roughly every two weeks, give or take few days depending on... whatever may fly my way. some major divergence here, let me know your thoughts on it! still feeling around for a good compromise between the original and my newer outline of the story. thank you for leaving kudos and comments! ^ ^


	5. Chapter 5

It's been about a week since Anna and the Vynters had agreed to the trial period. So far it had been an interesting experience. Olaf had warmed up to her fairly quickly. Marshall and her… were making progress. Slow but sure progress and as long as they were moving forward she was fine with it. Elsa however, Elsa was a project all on her own. It felt like Anna got caught in an avalanche and she couldn't use the spit trick to find her way out. While, at the very same time, she was trying to reconnect to a long time acquaintance. A paradox, truly. She found it better not to think about it-- _or her_ lest she wanted to be annoyed. 

That wasn't the root of her problems today anyhow. Anna sat up straight, unbothered by the freezing wood grain against her skin. She was on the floor, surrounded by paint, clad in an old, muscle shirt and underwear. The heaters were barely working but on days like these Anna welcomed the cold. She picked up the dirty pallet knife and smeared a glob of paint straight across part of the canvas: effectively erasing the lower half of a face with the background color.

The person was leaning carelessly against the wall, one legged pulled close. An elbow propped on their knee, a hand tangled in choppy locks of hair as they look at the viewer—or perhaps something beyond the viewer. Maybe out of the blinds that casted stripes of soft white across them.

Anna couldn't tell herself and she painted it.

It was a desaturated piece that she had started on an old canvas she primed. In all technicality, it was a good painting despite being a rush job. She didn't like it, but she fought the urge to erase more of the figure. She had to bring  _something_ into class today and she didn't have time to paint a different one.

Something less… exposing.

"Fucking—schist," Anna hissed as she banged her elbow against the bedframe and nearly knocked over a few containers of paint. The doorbell was going off… The redhead got up, angrily so, and trekked through the tiny apartment.

She threw the door open, only for that burning rage to die into mild exasperation at the sight of a familiar blonde giant… who was still assaulting her doorbell, as they stood in a silent eye lock. She swiped Kristoff's hand away from the button after a moment, but he pulled away before she could hit him. "Stop that!"

"Is that my homemade muscle shirt," Kristoff narrowed his eyes at the raggedy shirt he ripped in secondary school. Anna had tied the excess fabric in a side knot, so it hugged her hips.

She narrowed her eyes, playfully defiant, as she receded back into the apartment, "What're you going to do about it?"

Kristoff huffed and tapped the tip of his boots against the mat before following. He plopped down on the couch and turned on the television, but his stare was stuck on the ginger flitting around in the kitchen. More specifically, the amount of skin she was showing. Anna never did heal well, as quickly as she bounced back from things.

"Do you want coffee?" Her voice was airy, soothing.

"I figured you'd want to go to Holly's for hot cocoa."

"Mmm nah, I have to get ready and finish something up—wait!" Anna hastily turned the burners on under the kettle and a couple pots before racing into the small hallway. Kristoff could hear the shower starting the scuffling of furniture and doors over the news. She came back out and stood next to the tv with her homework.

The canvas obscured her entire torso, "So what do you see?"

Kristoff narrowed his eyes, for the third time since his visit, "It's? Quality work, as your art usually is." He wondered who's eyes she painted. Anna never painted eyes from imagination, she always either referenced someone's or censored them in some way.

"No, no like— _see_. Who do you think of when you see this, what emotion?"

He wasn't going to say it because he wasn't confident in his answer. Kristoff settled for something else, "I see a jaded college student a day away from finals."

Anna glanced between the painting and him for a moment before humming, half-hearted and mildly unconvinced, "Mkay. Good I guess."

"You guess?"

"Yep," She stalked back to the hallway as quickly as she came out, but was stopped by a firm grip on her forearm as she passed the couch. Kristoff tugged and she begrudgingly rounded it to stand in front of him again.

"Is everything alright?"

She shrugged. "Yeah."

Kristoff quirked a brow, his hold had loosed be hadn't let go. He was afraid she'd slink away but he didn't want to deprive her of the option, "You're apartment is freezing and you don't even have socks on, let alone sleeves."

"It's just a low energy day, everything's alright I'm just… having a hard time getting into the flow," Anna slipped her arm away and held his hand instead. She smiled, the kind she knew made Kristoff's chest ache, "I'll be alright."

* * *

Her Literature class passed by quickly, mainly because she zoned out during the lecture. She was too busy warding off Kristoff's messages of worry. She normally loved Art History class but today it was a pain in the ass because Sven had joined in on the text-fest. It wasn't terrible, it was just the fact that it was prompted by their worry of her "low" that made her want to turn off her phone. Now it was time for Painting and Anna kinda wished she could crawl back into the windowless, moldy room of her Lit.

When she entered the class all the stands were already pushed aside. Paintings were still being hung, the ginger clutched the portfolio bag she had been lugging around. She took a deep breath and strolled into class. Anna figured maybe she could find a bad spot for her painting so people had a hard time looking at it up close. But, sadly, there wasn't enough space along the bottom of the wall.

She took a couple steps back and stared at the somber painting with resurfacing disdain, then scanned the room lazily to gauge the crowd. Her eyes snagged on a head of trimmed white gold. Her breath hitched as Marshall noticed her as well and offered a curt smile. She smiled back and fidgeted with her hair, she didn't feel like braiding today.

As if on cue her professor walked to the center of the room, "So, I think now would be a good time to start the viewing of our personal gallery. No names will be displayed, for the artist's privacy. It's not meant to call anyone out, but simply demonstrate how we put ourselves in our art."

Anna sighed and started to stroll slowly, observing as her professor said to do. They'd combined with the other painting class that happened in the conjoined studio next to theirs, so she found it a bit refreshing to see some new styles. She figured that was why Marshall was present. Anna stopped next to the gentle giant and peered at the piece he was fixated on. "Super saturated."

It was subtle but she saw him jump before glancing between her and the painting. "The colors seem too vibrant for the mock high renaissance style," he clearly didn't have enough time to fully impersonate the painters of that era.

Anna crossed her arms and tilted her head. "Mmm… I don't know, I kinda like it. What do you think it's all about?"

"Deception?" Marshall sounded wary with his response, "The way he looks at her and holds her, it doesn't seem like he notices how she's slipping out of his grasp, or the thorny vines creeping up his body."

"Yeah, I'd say deception. The composition of colors draws all the attention to the woman and the man's arms. You kinda have to force yourself to look away to see the rest of the painting."

"Lust maybe," A few seconds passed before Marshall quickly added, bashfully, "I don't really—know I've never had that uh… experience."

Anna laughed softly, masking the shock of her discovery. If it was anyone else she wouldn't by it for a second, "I haven't met anyone who hasn't had the hots for someone at least once."

That ghostly smile returned, "Well if I ever did, it most definitely flew over my head." They followed each other around the room for a while. They were mostly comfortable with the silence between them, exchanging opinions here and there. Anna definitely didn't feel like herself at all today, and she was grateful Marshall didn't mention it.

That was, until he stopped in front of her painting. Quite a few people have stopped to give her piece extra attention, a few were still lingering. But the way he dissected it reminded her eerily of another elusive individual, she was getting goosebumps. After a moment of watching him Anna spoke up, "Found something you like?"

Marshall hummed, "It's somber, but has a lot of energy in the strokes. The patterns faintly painted into the skin shows care despite the rough blending. It's refreshing."

"Looks lackluster to me. A rush job probably, with all of the block-outs they did to the figure."

"I feel like the blocking conveys uncertainty, or secrecy. As if they showed too much in the heat of the moment and tried to take it back. Successful in some places but not quite in others," He unfurled an arm, as if he was about to reach out, then crossed it again.

Marshall took a few steps back and to the left, a sign of retreat as his gaze lingered, "Something about the painting feels too familiar…"

He knew, she thought. Anna gnawed on her bottom lip and called after him, "Where's your piece?" He saw right through her.

He glanced at her before focusing on the half finished piece, "It's somewhere."

Anna reached up and punched his shoulder playfully, "C'mon, I bet we've passed it already."

He jumped a little at the sudden contact, laughter evident in his voice, "It wouldn't be fair if I pointed it out to you."

She huffed and shoved her hands in her pockets, "I'll figure it out."

It was around the middle of class, they could leave whenever since they had to leave their paintings overnight for grading. But Anna chose to loiter a bit longer with the blonde. Marshall had left the class briefly to grab a bottle of water, so she decided to skim through the paintings a second time.

That was, until a particular piece caught her eye. It was off in a corner, by a window. The way the light peaked between the blinds and casted themselves across the canvas reminded her of the shadow effect she'd used in her own.

The painting looked void of color from a distance; the texture from thick paint and layers of different glaze was what caught Anna's attention—and even then just barely. No wonder there wasn't much traffic, she thought, there wasn't much interest for subtlety in this particular crowd. Upon closer inspection she noticed the heavy brush strokes, interchanged with pallet knife scraping and sponging. What seemed like white was a myriad of light tints: grey, blue, and lavender.

And then she spotted it, the child amongst the literal white noise, defined by the varying density of pearlescent paint. Or at least, what she thought was a child. An expression too open for interpretation, eyes that felt, as the blonde said before, too familiar.

A bust of a person frozen in ice. Despair.

Acceptance too, perhaps? It didn't seem like there was a struggle and yet… Anna frowned. The portrait gave her goosebumps, as astounding at is was. It had to have taken a lot of time and thought. She backed away, uncertain of whether she wanted Marshall to come back to her gauging his work.

And definitely unsure of what she would have to say.

Instead she loiters a few paintings away, when Marshall comes back he offers her the second bottle he just happened to get and briskly steers her away from the piece as she expected.

* * *

Marshall offered her a ride to "work", which she gladly accepted. Anna didn't want to be stifled with Kristoff's concern. As much as he cared, she also enjoyed space during these times and she certainly wasn't going to get it sharing the front seats with him.

In the Vynter's home though, space was just a basic necessity. The house was essentially split up into spheres of influence with common ground Anna could weave through. Olaf stayed in his room, Marshall camped out in the studio, but Elsa… Elsa was a little tricky.

Another quirk Anna had noticed, other than being able to talk super quietly and hear super well, was _move almost soundlessly_. As if they had willfully erased their presence from the dimension, which unnerved her. When they weren't snooping they had such a demanding stature—not because they were loud buy simply because they just were  _there_. She grumbled,"You could be under twenty blankets but you'd know exactly who."

"Who?"

Anna nearly jumped out of her skin with a strangled, ungraceful sound. She whipped around to find Elsa hiding a smile behind her mug, but Anna could still tell by how her cheeks bunched under impish eyes.

The ginger settled back into the couch, "You're awful, you know that?"

"What? What'd I do?"

"Just," Anna waved her hands around, referring to Elsa's entirety. Her charm, her smile, her elegance, "You."

Elsa narrowed her eyes, still light with the little triumph, "Fair? I suppose."

Anna paused, arms in mid air as their eyes met. After a few seconds she let her arms fall back at her sides with a resigned smile. She could of sworn Elsa's irises were ice blue when they met, not steel. She chuckled humorlessly, "Sorry, I'm just bugging out today."

The older blonde shrugged her off, "You're fine."

Anna found irony in the statement, she noticed the six pack in Elsa's other hand and suddenly she didn't mind some company.

"Interested in a few rounds?"

Anna broke out of her trance and blushed, embarrassed that Elsa caught her staring. She tittered, "That'd be nice."  _It would._

Elsa hummed, looking her over past the brim of the blue mug. Anna felt that skin prickling sensation pass over her again, just like when Marshall dissected her work. The blonde jerked her head towards the hallway entrance and padded off, "Follow me."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> iight iight so i know i said roughly two weeks however i had to do a bit of cutting (cut out the CRINGE) and editing because this chapter was p long and it would've been choppy event wise so ima post this now and then get back to ye with the rest this week to reset the order. some more divergence however we'll be steering back into familiar territory soon enough. Thanks for the follows n favs! and reviews! much love, n I will get back to you soon /hearts


	6. Chapter 6

Anna trailed a few meters behind her. She quickly realized they were heading towards the basement. She could hear the tv and laughter as she descended down the steps.

"I brought schnapps!" Elsa declared as she hopped off the last step. The ping-pong table was set up, with a pyramid of six red cups on each side. Olaf was on the opposite end, doing a little dance to the background music of a mindless tv program.

He whooped, "Sour Apple!? Hi Anna, I didn't know you were here, we would've invited you sooner!"

"Sour Apple, as requested."

The ginger laughed, eyeing the set up, "Beer pong?"

"Liquor pong! It's harder for us to get drunk so switch out the beer with whatever we want," Olaf explained as he continued to dance. Elsa was even gently bobbing her head to the beat as she poured a decent amount into Olaf's Solo cups. Anna glanced at the bar on the far right side of the room, behind Elsa's side of the table. There were bottles, six packs, and snacks lining the top… along with eggs, whip cream, random objects, a dildo—dare she ask who's, scissors, a waxing kit, a fine variety of condiments, sculpting gel, and a cheap preteens makeup kit.

And a sharpie, couldn't forget the sharpie, Anna grinned to herself.

Elsa glanced between her and the pouring, "Help yourself, don't have to play or stay down here if you don't want to."

She figured it wouldn't hurt to watch. Anna hopped onto a bar stool and eyed all of the things they had compiled, "What in the hell do you need all of this other stuff for?"

Elsa strolled back to the bar and set the schnapps next to the tequila, "Dare Pong, Olaf thought of it after watching… Fear Pong?"

"Fear pong! I bought all the sets and mixed it with our own cards."

"And thought it would be a good way to draw out the game, since Olaf has really good aim. We won't use the cards till later though."

Anna grinned, cracking open a tall boy, "I wanna see this."

The older blonde picked up an orange ping pong ball up and tossed it, making into the center cup of Olaf's side.

"Crap."

Four rounds passed by faster than Anna thought they would, the opposing heavy weights winning equal amounts. It didn't take long for them to bring out the cards, Anna shuffled them and placed one face down under each cup—for the sake of integrity.

The shit talking and taunts were hilarious enough, coupled with the dares and alcohol it was a riot. With eggs smashing, body shots, and wild dancing to 80's pop. Whipped cream topped armpits and strange condiment concoctions followed by gagging noises and strange commentary. Empty cups prompted by the sound of electric clippers.

Anna was surprised Marshall had even joined for a few games, of course at his siblings' "persuasions". She wasn't sure whether it was the atmosphere or the alcohol that had lifted her spirits, but it was nice to have some of the weight off her shoulders. While Anna knew they knew she wasn't operating on her usual energy, she appreciated that they didn't bother her about it. Olaf had eventually tapped out, he wanted to wash the yolk out of his hair. Marshall as well, though simply because he didn't want to be notably tipsy.

"So, interested in a game of Fear Pong?" Anna was pulled out of her thoughts once again by that enticing voice. Elsa was leaning on the ping pong table across from her with a questionable glint in her eyes, shuffling the deck of cards. She'd cleaned the make-up and marker off her face, and changed clothes a couple times. But there were still faint traces of cartoonish dicks and a mustache left on her face.

Compared to the boys, she still seemed as competent as usual—buzzed perhaps, high off victory if anything, but resilient against the effects of alcohol. Which alarmed Anna, because the older woman has had nothing but hard liquor all not.

The ginger weighed the pros and cons before offering a challenging smile, "I'm down." She quickly finished off her third can of beer and slid off her stool. Somehow she got in charge of laying down cards under the cups again.

"And what'll your poison be?" Elsa asked as she took inventory of all the bottles on the table. She had picked out a clear looking liquid for herself.

Anna was actually a little nervous, she was busy checking her phone, "Uh, whatever you're having."

There was a pause, then a humoresque tone, "I don't think you want what I'm having. This is my last hoo-raw of the night."

"C'mon, it can't be that bad," Anna scoffed, she looked up with a quirked brow.

Elsa held up the bottle, "Everclear."

"Straight Everclear?" A nod. "Really?" Another nod. "Either you have a death wish or you doubt my abilities." Anna slid her cell in her back pocket.

Elsa shrugged as she started pouring her cups, "So I'll either be happy or pleasantly surprised." That left Anna both annoyed and excited to prove her wrong.

"Better cut that with something, 'cause I'm actually a professional at beer pong," she retorted and made her way over to the bar. Of course, with context it wasn't something to be proud of however, "I'm gonna make you drink those words."

"Rum and coke, my own last hoo-raw," Anna stuck her tongue out as she collected her ingredients and headed back to her side. Elsa chuckled and picked up a bottle of lemonade to cut her drink, "Alright, I'm counting on you then."

Elsa tossed Anna a couple of ping pong balls once they were all set up. "Youngsters first."

She scrambled to catch the two of them, but then shortly after threw one of them back with remarkable ease—it landed right in the center cup. They exchanged looks: one half annoyed, half impressed. The other verging on a haughty "I told you so."

"Okay, right off the bat. I like it," Elsa announced as she lifted her cup to retrieve the dare, "Tell your opponent their most attractive feature and their least attractive feature, hmm…"

Anna propped her elbows, wiggled her brows, and grinned, "Hmmmm? Don't chicken out on me now, stroke my ego." She was genuinely curious about what went on behind that poker face.

Elsa laughed at her goofiness, "Most attractive? But it's so hard choosing just one."

"Awww shucks, what's my least attractive then?"

"Your voice." Deadpanned.

"Hey!" Anna pouted.

"I had to make a choice! I complimented you though," She held her hands up, a ball in both.

Anna blushed but quickly rebounded, "Flattery can only go so far."

The blush was swiftly wiped away by a ball sinking in one of her cups. "But these balls will make the distance," Elsa said with a smirk.

The redhead groaned as she read the dare, "Let your opponent shave your head...?"

"I'm an excellent barber," Elsa announced, that challenging smirk still in place, a ball still in hand.

Anna had half a mind to accept it. She took the drink instead and set the dare aside, "I'm gonna take a rain check on that haircut."

Elsa shrugged, dipping the spare ball in a cleansing cup before taking a shot. She missed, much to her opponent's pleasure.

However, Anna missed as well. "So how often do you guys go out? Like outside to venues and stuff."

Elsa shrugged again, "Not often. I haven't set foot in downtown in… months. Marshall and Olaf do leave on occasion though." Another miss.

"Really? Why?" Bounced off a rim, another miss.

The older woman stuck her tongue out to increase her accuracy by plus twelve. She made the shot and whooped. Anna groaned again and picked up the card, "Alright, take a shot of whatever your opponent chooses... Know what? Let's do it. Have at me."

Elsa rubbed her hands together, "Turn around! It's has to be a surprise." The amount of genuine excitement she showed made the redhead nervous but she did as instructed.

"Oh please be nice, I like my food where it is," she felt the need to beg. In reality she had stomach like a goat. The problem was that she had a hard time throwing up when she really wanted to.

"Be nice? You ask too much of me," Elsa said as she swished the contents around in the shot glass, adding a few more drops of something foul.

Anna laughed at the sudden and terrible accent, silently though. She didn't want to enable such cheesy humor.

"Alright, here you go."

Anna turned around again at the announcement. Elsa was nearing with a poorly mixed concoction of murky reddish orange and cloudy snot green… and a bucket. It certainly smelt revolting, looked worse when she held it to the light. She could see curds fighting to rise to the top, "I'm starting to think you hate me."

Her smile didn't waver. "Bottoms up."

Anna gave one last glare—at her, at the shot, at the higher powers she momentarily despised, and then knocked it back. Much to her luck none of the curds got caught on the way down. A moment passed before the redhead held a fist up in victory and half yelled, "Yeah bitch!" She was actually dying inside.

There was an applause, Elsa looked incredibly impressed. And while she didn't show it, slightly intimidated that Anna had stomached it, "Wanna know what was in it?"

That bravado faltered, "No no no, then I will actually vomit. Can I get like… oh thanks." She accepted the cup of ice water Elsa seemed to magically conjure up, "Alright! My turn."

Elsa barely made it to her side when an orange ball landed in a dareless cup.

The blonde gladly chugged it and set the cup aside, "Oookay." She rinsed off the ball and tossed it, landing in yet another one of Anna's cups.

Anna hissed a swear before checking the dare, "Let your opponent shave your leg… I mean sure I could go for a shave." She figured between exposure and preventing a possible inquisition, it wasn't wasn't worth having to drink a cup.

"That's more of a dare for me. Unjust by all means."

"Hey, you get to put those barber skills to use." Anna winked at her, as cheeky as her smile was she was still recovering from the shot of whatever the hell Elsa had whipped up. She moseyed on over to the bar and slid onto a stool.

Elsa rolled her eyes but couldn't help but chortle at the witty comment. She pulled up a chair, along with shaving cream and a cheap razor. She patted her thigh, "Hurry up and give me a leg."

Anna propped her foot on the the blonde's lap and pulled up the pants leg, revealing quite a few scars and a light coat of hair, "Behold!"

"How'd you manage to get all of these scars?" Elsa furrowed her brows.

"I'm clumsy and I don't heal very well," she shrugged. Both reasons were true, though she chose to omit the rest of them. She saw steel eyes focus on a particular set of parallel lines and kicked the the blonde gently, "C'mon hurry up, it's cold down here."

Elsa rolled her eyes and slathered on the shaving cream. She made sure to cool down the can just a bit before doing so, eliciting quite a few curses from her current "client".

The next couple of attempts passed by quickly. Both of them ended up with dares involving eggs and fake orgasms, and neither of them wanted to deal with their hair afterwards… or the embarrassment. Three missed balls later and Anna had finally made another shot.

"Ayye," Anna did a little dance in her spot.

This time it was Elsa's turn to groan as she read the dare, "Let your opponent wax your armpits."

"Oh! Oh, oh! Let me do it! Pleaaaase?"

"You know, I'm almost tempted to just drink the cup," Elsa said as she narrowed her eyes. Her opponent seemed awfully eager about ripping the actual hair follicles from her pores.

Anna pouted before quickly trading it in for a devilish smile. "Well you could if you want, that just makes me a cup closer to winning." They both had a competitive edge.

"You better not hesitate mid rip."

The ginger clapped her hands together and practically skipped towards the bar to retrieve the waxing kit. She considered it payback for the disgusting shot.

Elsa leaned against the ping-pong table, rolled back both sleeves, clasped her hands behind her head, and said a little prayer. Her eyes were trained on the ceiling but she didn't need to see to know Anna had the biggest grin.

"A bit hairy I see?" Disgustingly sweet, ingenuine thoughtfulness. The sound of palms rapidly rubbing against paper made her toes curl.

"Oh fuck off."

Elsa winced at the sound of the wrapper and devious giggling. She let out a nervous, regret filled chortle at the sensation of hand warmed wax strips being slapped onto her pits.

"What if I like, try to rip them off at the same time?" Anna rubbed them, just to keep the wax warm. Her grin grew even shittier as Elsa tried her best not to squirm or laugh.

"Do not." Her wavering voice made the threat fall.

"Alright alright… wait do I rip up or down?" she switched to rubbing just one.

"Up! Please up!"

"What if I rip down?" Anna tugged at the bottom of the paper.

"Do not—HMMMmmm." Elsa damn near shrieked. Anna laughed as she examined the strip.

The caretaker beckoned her to come back despite having a decent grip on the waxies bicep. The notable bulk and tone was lost on the fact that the blonde was simpering a series of refusals and shying away.

Then another satisfying yet cringe worthy rip resounded through the basement.

A near perfect reenactment of The Scream.

Anna giggled to herself as she held the wax strips up, "Dude you could donate these to Locks of Love." Meanwhile, Elsa was hobbling around aimlessly with flapping hands and arms spread like a bodybuilder. She didn't know where to redirect the pain. That scream wasn't so silent now; Quiet, reminiscent of Charlie Brown, but not silent.

The redhead felt very little guilt over the whole ordeal. "Need some aftershave?"

"Fuck you," was the expected and well deserved response, followed by that disappointing clucking noise.

Anna pursed her lips and nodded. "Okay, that's fair," she didn't know how to feel about the dare, "Let your opponent take a tequila shot off your body…"

"Shots shots shots shots."

She glanced between the card and Elsa's quirked brows before slapping the paper on the table, "Yeah sure I'll bite."

The slighter woman had opted towards sitting on the ping pong table: lime in mouth, salt on neck, and a shot glass held in her cleavage with the support of her hands. While as suggestive as it appeared, she opted towards it instead of the more classic approach. Anything to keep her clothes where she wanted them.

For the first time since they've met, Anna could've sworn Elsa was blushing a bit. She did a little shimmy and egged her on around the lime wedge, "See sone'hing you lie?"

Elsa was stationed in front of her, palms planted on the table at both her sides; Anna was cornered and locked in close proximity. She wouldn't deny that there was something arousing about the position.

There was a roll of the eyes, as predicted before an alarmingly hot tongue slicked the length of her neck and her nose was overwhelmed by the scent of floral shampoo. She shivered, but hoped the older woman was too busy with the glass to notice. Anna covered her tracks just to be safe, "Ewww 'ooties."

Elsa snorted around the rim, followed squeak of panic and teeth clanking against glass as she struggled to regain control over the shot.

Anna leaned forward to mostly save her sweater from the tequila, partly to help the blonde. "I hwear oo uh gauh ih you hill hequila aw ee."

That only made Elsa giggle, "Wai wai wai ho'uh!"

They struggled for a few seconds—Anna struggled: with Elsa's lips grazing against her breasts and breath beating between them. The blonde finally found a good grip and knocked back the shot, then stood back up to swiftly and carefully take the lime from Anna without grazing lips.

They both heaved a sigh of relief… and exhaustion. "That was probably, the longest shot I've ever seen," Anna said as she fixed her shirt and sweater.

"That was the most stressful shot I've ever taken," Elsa added. She'd stuck the lime in the shot glass and set it aside. They'd both had gained a bit of a healthy glow to their cheeks.

"Stressful? For you?"

"I was trying not to spill any tequila! Which you're welcome for by the way."

Anna stuck her tongue out as a weak retort and slid off the table. It was Elsa's turn but she missed.

The ginger rinsed off the ball before tossing it, "So…" She missed.

"So?" Anna used raptor screech, it was very effective. Elsa missed, she glared.

"So what's it like, being Elsa?" Another miss.

Elsa tossed it, the slighter woman used concerning noise but it was not effective. The ball landed in a dareless cup. Elsa tilted her head to the side, "What's it like... being... Elsa?"

"Yeah like how do you feel… Being you. If you had to sell your entire life—including this very moment as a house… what would you say and how many stars would you give," Anna clarified. She decided to rub the ping pong ball vigorously for goodluck before flicking it back to the other side.

It made stuck the landing much to the blonde's distaste, she read the dare, "Let your opponent cut off an article of clothing…"

Anna looked excited again, "Oh! Oh!"

"You… can cut my shirt, my pants are off limits," Elsa said as she held up a pair of scissors.

Anna shrugged and bounded over, "Works for me."

There were purposefully awful covers of Scissor Sisters songs and eye rolls as she craftily cut out a giant heart from the front of Elsa's shirt and an inverted winky face on the back.

"One of my finest works I'd say," Anna had taken a step back to assess her cut out art—more so the window view of Elsa's toned stomach and fine choice bra. She made note of the boxers material that peeked out of the blonde's pajama pants.

Elsa laid the sarcasm on thick, "Sooo fashion forward." She tossed the ping pong ball once Anna made it back to her cups. A miss.

"So…" Another miss.

"So?" A miss again.

"My little question," Anna clarified again. She managed to rebound the ball into a dareless cup… off a cup with a dare.

Elsa held up a finger, a silent plea for a moment as she finished off the cup of liver failure and lemonade. She slapped her hands together and started prattling off, "Alright so… Sturdy roof, crappy plumbing, the heaters been broken since 2004. Two bathrooms, three bedrooms, a garage. The key to the basement was buried in the yard down the block. Don't get me wrong—the decor is beautiful. Sure there's a working toilet in the living room but that's irrelevant; the floor plan is to die for… uhm... Lovely view of the landscape, and a spacious backyard but…"

Anna laughed, aghast, "But? The fuck, there's more?"

"There's a screaming man stuck in an attic with no entrance. He tires himself out and just scuttles around on occasion. But it's okay just give him a few days and he'll start up again. I'd rate… two out of five," she finally concluded, throwing the ball.

"Have you considered auditioning for We-wee—Fucknuts—Realtor's Horror Stories?" Her speech was slurring.

"I'm still on the waitlist. Too disturbing to let go, too nice to cover; But I'll let you know when I get an episode on air," Elsa winked at her, but then scoffed in disgust as the ball made into yet another cup with a dare. She squinted at the text, "Let your opponent dump glitter on you."

"Oh my god that is so weak."

Elsa tossed the card on the table, "Make me sparkle."

"How much glitter?"

"Four cups?"

Anna gasped, mildly sated, "I'm gonna make ya fucking sparkle."

"Would you like a step ladder too?" She asked, half jokingly.

"Fuck off." They settled on Elsa crouching just so, while Anna tiptoed—with some effort— with a measuring cup full of gold glitter looming over her. Half way through the pour Elsa shook her head wildly and sent it flying.

Anna was caught between a shriek and laughter. She was so busy shaking out her sweater she nearly missed the the brilliant smile that accompanied the blonde's own guffaw. She nearly missed the way the glitter twinkled with those unnaturally blue eyes as Elsa haphazardly pushed back her bangs with both hands. Anna was glad she let the glitter settle on her skin.

She decided to throw the rest of the cup at Elsa anyway… which, predictably, started a glitter war between the two.

"What a mess…" The blonde finally said as they came down from their laughing fit.

"There is glitter literally everywhere." An exaggeration, though they knew it would be soon enough. Anna looked at her phone with disinterest before putting it on silent and sticking it in her back pocket. She couldn't properly read the brick walls of text nor did she care to respond.

Elsa juggled the orange plastic balls, "Who's turn is it again?"

"Yyyours? Yours!"

A ball landed in one of Anna's cups a mere second later, she whispered a swear. It took her a few to read the card, "Let your… opponent undress you with their teeth… hmmm… no… no I'm gonna drink to that."

Elsa aw'd, Anna knew it was in a joking manner but her stomach still twisted a bit at the thought of losing her sweater. She drowned the feeling with the rum and coke, "Alright alright alright! Let's GO! Two cups!"

"Three cups."

"Two to three!" She made the shot, "Two to two!"

Elsa finished off the dareless cup and made, yet another ball into the ginger's cups, "One to two."

Anna chugged to the rhythm of Elsa's chants, before throwing the cheap plastic ball a little too hard. She'd overestimated the trajectory with all of the excitement. They were both missing, until Anna scored one in Elsa's dare free cup.

The blonde, of course, retaliated with her own perfect shot—a shot one would dub, "nothing but net". "Fuuuuck dude," Anna lifted the cup for the dare, ball inside and all. Whoa, she thought. She snickered at the chicken scratch added on where it could.

"You look… perplexed."

"Make out with your opponent for thirty seconds. If the dare is taken, first one to chicken out has to drink a cup," Anna announced as she slapped the card against an open palm. Her competitive spirit was driving her more than anything in this very moment. She gave Elsa a look.

A look that Elsa copied with some variation—more challenging, more… Anna wasn't quite sure. The older woman leaned against the table, hands splayed on the surface, "Well I have no qualms, a game is a game. However, I must inform you I have had my fair share of feet, mystery objects, and rancid concoctions on this lovely evening."

"Oh I see how it is, tryna scare me aye? I know you brushed your teeth."

"I'm still experiencing an after taste of fish sauce and vinegar. Also been downing these cups y'know and this lemonade tastes pretty shitty."

Anna asked incredulously, "Is there not enough sugar?"

"No I think it's the water," Elsa said with a shrug before taking a sip of her last red cup, and setting it back on it's rightful card.

"You… water?"

"Yeah?"

They shared another look and a moment of silence before Elsa prompted her on, "You need water to make lemonade."

Anna furrowed her brows and cocked her head back, she wasn't fully processing. The blonde tried again, "Lemonade is literally just flavored water Anna."

"Well with that mindset aren't all beverages just flavored water?"

"No...? Because shakes exist?"

"Thick flavored water." Anna giggled at the thought.

Elsa squinted. She couldn't find any fault with the logic at that given time but didn't want to admit it. "Are you drunk?"

"What? No!" She was indeed drunk. Anna threw her hands up, exasperated, "Get over here and kiss me!"

"No no, it's your dare. You come to me," the blonde said as she crossed her arms, "Don't be such a bottom."

An insulted gasp, "I am a verse top! Thank you very much. If anything you're the bottom, just standing there all expectedly and shit."

"It's not my dare!"

Anna pointed an accusatory finger, "A real top wouldn't care."

Yet another, staring contest ensued, no matter how brief it was before Elsa pinched the bridge of her nose. She was most certainly not sober…. Not drunk but not sober; That, Elsa could admit to. There was no other explanation to arguing with her small, fiery adversary over their positions in bed… or accepting to participate in such a risky idea.

She finally conceded, "Alright, compromise. We both meet in the middle, nobody's a bottom."

"Spoken like a not-top," Anna goaded as she started climbing on top of the table.

"I will make you drink that cup if—Around! Get off the table!" She oh'd and slid off.

In close proximity once again, Anna formed a strategy while she fiddled with the timer on her phone. Thirty seconds wasn't really that long, she reasoned. She's made out with people much longer for less of a reward.

"Now are you sure you want to make out with this? I'm pretty sure I got a strand of Marshall's armpit hair stuck between a couple molars."

"You can't sway me Vynter, I refuse to lose."

"Suuuit yourself."

"Oookay… Ready," She cleared her notifications and turned her ringer back on, "Set…" Her finger lingered over the green button, "Go."

And then there was darkness; the familiar sensation of liquor laced lips paired well with the warmth and numbness that had settled within her.

Her opponent appeared hesitant, though not quite opposed to the given situation. Whether because of the rules or shyness, Anna didn't care to think about it. She reached up, one hand on the taller woman's shoulder and another against the side of her neck for support—Anna was on her toes.

There was an interesting thrum against her palm.

Five seconds. Hands settled at her sides with a wavering finality, she could feel the unusual coolness seeping through her sweater. Anna found it awfully pleasant.

Twelve seconds. Anna had been pushed back on her heels, fingers were now flexing at her hips with dubious intentions. Like a flower drawn to the light Elsa was caving, relenting that perfect posture to pursue her. She could feel herself getting lost in the blonde's presence.

Twenty four seconds. She'd become well acquainted with the taste of hard spirits, cheap lemonade, and as Elsa warned, vinegar. Anna wondered what it would be like to have that smoldering tongue pressed against her neck again, her breasts, her thighs, her… Her arms were wrapped cozily around the taller woman's neck, a hand tangled in pale baby hairs. The tables edge was leaving an indent across her lower back.

The thrumming had become a comfort.

Thirty five seconds. She was nothing if not a tease. But the heady exhale she received as she scraped her teeth along Elsa's bottom lip left her more hot and bothered than she expected. Her eyes fluttered open briefly: She felt blessed by the glimpse of blush and glitter and freckles that ghosted pale flesh.

Forty seven seconds… sixty six seconds...

And then her phone went off and everything fell apart.

The vibration spooked her forwards, a startled Elsa had her veiring back into the table, and her lack of good footing sent her to the floor; Flat on her ass but of course, not without a decent smack on the back of her head from the ping pong table on the way down.

That was the least of Anna's concerns in that moment however. She whipped the phone from her back pocket, uncaring of the fresh crack in her screen.

It wasn't the timer that interrupted them, the timer had gone off accordingly. It was an incoming call from Kristoff that had set off the series of events, all timed to the corny beat of her ringtone.

If Anna wasn't already confused and horny she'd be very angry, but luckily for everyone alcohol limited her emotional capacity to two… She had half a mind to answer it but settled with a text.

Annanana: what

N-ice guy: Can you call me please?

She rubbed the back of her head and squinted at the screen. Anna had enough awareness to not fulfill that request, she had been in similar situations in the past and had learned from them. If Kristoff was being polite after all the snubbing she's done, then there was a righteous lecture waiting for her on the other end of the line.

Annanana: I don't wsnt to talk rn sry

Annanana: mgonna stay put fr t nigjt ok

N-ice guy: Wait.

Annanana: kkbye llov u

It wasn't that late but she took the storm warning notification into consideration. The caretaker wondered when Marshall got to the basement. She noted how annoyed and concerned he looked. Annoyed at her? Concerned at her? Concerned at the glitter? She couldn't tell, he was talking to Elsa too quietly.

Anna didn't want to be impolite. "Heeeeey," She called, far louder than she needed to.

That certainly caught the pairs attention, when they looked over she gave a dramatic wave. Marshall disregarded the greeting entirely and turned to the more embarrassed one of the two, "Is she drunk?"

Elsa shrugged and replied, "I believe so? I don't know I forgot humans got drunk that easily."

"How do you forget such a thing?" He sounded incredulous, as if the differences were blatant.

"Gee, I'm sorry I forgot this one time that we're…"

Anna was too busy trying to stand to pay attention to the conversation. She slipped on a patch of glitter and fell again. Confusion was turning into disgruntlement. The siblings exchanged a few more words before Elsa hesitantly walked over and offered the slighter woman a hand.

"Mmmthank you gorgeous I don't remember you owning a sweater," Anna drawled as she was hauled her to feet. The older woman had borrowed the large jumper from her brother.

Elsa finally concluded, exasperated, "You're drunk."

"And you're sexy," she crooned as she leaned in for a kiss. Elsa's face turned bright red as she kept a hold on the drunk at arm's length—or at least tried. Anna was much stronger than she appeared. It would've been easier to simply walk away but the blonde was afraid Anna would fall again if she did.

Elsa looked to Marshall for help but he held up his hands in denial, "My assistance ends here. You deal with her on your own."

"Please can you just watch her for ten, fifteen minutes?"

That actually earned a rare, and anger inducing laugh, "No."

She glared at him before diverting her attention back to a swaying Anna. The ginger had taken to wringing the hem of her own sweater in her hands as she looked at nothing in particular, humming a show tune not even she seemed to know.

Docile. Elsa planned to use that to her advantage, "Bed."

And just like that Anna sprung back to life, "You're taking me to bed?! Wo-ho-hoooo-woow you're bold. Buy me a drink first won't ya? I'm thirsty. I want a drink. I'm getting a drink." She tried to turn back to the ping pong table for her last cup of rum and coke.

"No,"Elsa quickly steered her away. There was resistance, emerging anger, "What the fuck ma—"

"I have a better drink," Elsa interrupted, turning the ginger around again to face her. She only seemed to have Anna's attention if they were touching. That dispersed the anger immediately, "It's upstairs."

"But—the um…." Anna snapped her fingers to jog the memory, "Um….. uhmmm…. Uh…. The everclesr! Shover there!"

Elsa pulled her towards the steps, gently, "I have something better upstairs, straight from the tap." She let her hands slip from the redhead's shoulder to her forearms for easier guiding.

"Only beer's good from the tap," a slurred response but Anna followed nonetheless—clumsily but it was progress.

"It's great I promise." Elsa ended up carrying her the rest of the way to the kitchen and setting her down on the kitchen counter, just to save time. As she hoped, the slighter woman didn't budge from her spot. She was afraid she'd die from the fall.

She actually looked uneasy, with her hands twisted in her sweater once more and feet dangling inches above the floor. The blonde had to, begrudgingly, bribe her with more kisses to make her drink the water. Or "liquid ice", as Elsa called it to make it seem like a fancy new alcohol.

Watching Anna react to the "cold flavor" was almost worth the embarrassing discomfort Elsa was currently experiencing, as exhausting as she was at that given moment. After a few glasses she lead Anna to the guest room—of course not without some ditzy, suggestive comments from the redhead once she knew where they were heading.

When they reached the door, the blonde sighed. She knew her job wasn't over but it felt like she dropped a hundred-twenty-something pound weight… because she did.

Not literally, she placed Anna carefully on her feet so she could open the door, "Here you are, your Annaness." The running joke since they left the kitchen.

"Taank you, your hotness!" Anna declared, far louder than needed again as she stumbled into the dark room. Elsa wasn't prepared for the articles of the clothing flying into the air as Anna complained about the heat. A cough made the redhead freeze just seconds before she started unbuckling her jeans.

Anna spun on her heels to face her audience. Elsa was leaning against the door frame, looking at everything but her. It was a rare site, seeing the normally mysterious and collected matriarch of the Vynter House flustered and unsure what to do.

It was too late to take back what she did, cover up the damage she had been trying her hardest to hide. And really, she didn't quite care. It felt nice, being half naked and intoxicated and across the room from a person she'd like to fuck and kiss and maybe get to know in a less strained situation and—gods was Anna hankering for that close quarter company.

But she could also live without it, Anna concluded. She grinned and hopped back on to the bed, "Gonna give me those kisses now?"

"N-what? No, don't get too comfortable; not until I say so. I'll be back," Elsa finally said, slipping into the hall.

"For my good night kisses!?"

That seemed to get rise out of her, "To check up on you! Gods!"

"Why not both?!"

The blonde was already down the hall but Anna could here a "shut up" in the distance. She collapsed over on the bed and huffed, annoyed that she couldn't see Elsa's reaction through the darkness. And while it was for an obvious and completely different reason compared to what she had in mind, she was happy that Elsa wasn't leaving her alone with her myriad of scars.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time is a man made construct that i diligently disregard despite my better judgement,,. anywats lemme know how you guys feel about the change in eventss. whether i should bring it back to the original some or not. thanks for followin and favs = v= much appreciated /thumbsup


	7. Chapter 7

If there was anything worse than waking up with a hangover, it was waking up, stealthing your way home, nursing yourself, going back to sleep, and then  _still_ waking up with a hangover.

Anna let out a low, creaky moan similar to that of an old house on a windy afternoon. She had cocooned herself with every blanket she could find in her tiny apartment. The smell of rum was still stuck on her skin, mingling with the sillage she was accustomed to.

She couldn't help but compare the differences between when she first woke up to her experience now. The soft duvet and firm pillows versus her hoard of blankets and worn-out ones. The smell of pine wood and something Anna couldn't quite place, to her metal and honey suckle. Her creaky mattress to the soft pillow topped queen size that dipped ever so often with another's weight prior to her…

And that's when her memory grew foggy, there was a huge gap between that morning and yesterday's evening. Anna decided to work backwards to figure out how she managed to ruin her Thursday morning.

She recalled Kristoff's overbearing nature, turning in her painting, catching a ride with Marshall, and then… Ah yes, Elsa invited her to the basement, she thought. Where they had a full cabinet and a mini fridge worth of alcohol at their disposal with all the other crazy things they could find in the house.

Anna let out a dry laugh, her own form of "eureka". That's where it all went down hill, and it started with an E.

For Elsa.

Anna rolled onto her back and sighed. She found it fun watching them play beer pong… with liquor, dares, and snacks. She was, for one thing, envious of their incredible resilience against alcohol. It was alarming but entertaining in the same way it was fun to watch a keg stand.

Anna muttered as she slapped her cheeks, "Olaf called it a night, then Elsa asked if I wanted to play and like an idiot…"

She berated herself silently for deciding to use rum instead of beer like a normal human being. She was surprised she hadn't gotten alcohol poisoning last night… which brought back into question how  _they_  managed to drink so much and remain relatively competent.

It was starting to bug her, "Do they keep, like, spare livers in a fridge or something." Anna struggled to break free from her cocoon for her phone.

When she found it she stalled for a moment to breeze through the texts Kristoff and Sven had sent earlier that morning, after she had briefed them about her whereabouts. Anna contemplated responding, but decided against opening that can of worms once again.

She did feel guilty about ghosting her friends but she had other agendas to take care of. Anna plugged in the key and waited for the app to appear before signing on. She spared a second to scowl at the new crack in her screen, puzzled how it got there.

Anna only ever really used the private channel if she felt she needed to, so she wasn't always up to date with what goes on in there. She left a message in the group chat.

**Ads: i genuinely hope**

**Ads: from the bottom of my heart,**

**Ads: that you all have hangovers**

**Ads: And haven't died from liver failure**

**Ooflaf: lol no we're all good**

**Ooflaf: we break down alcohol fast af**

**Ooflaf: takes a brewery to drown our guts**

**Marshmallow: We're more concerned about your liver.**

**Ads: lmao my livers been through much worst, the rest of me is jusd dying atm**

**Marshmallow: Dying?**

**Ads: hangover, dying, same difference. Please tell me you guys get at least hangovers**

**Marshmallow: If we actually get intoxicated then we would.**

**Marshmallow: I'm sure Elsa is at least having some regrets.**

Anna jumped at the sound of a direct message.

**Ooflaf: Speaking of Elsa ;))))));)**

**Ads: what?**

**Ooflaf: ((((((((((;;**

She kept trying to recall everything as she got bombarded with parentheses. Anna remembered how open Elsa was, something she reasoned was because of the insane amount of hard alcohol she was consuming. She was playful—in a non-intimidating way, sincere, and easy to read for once. The type of person she would pursue if the situation wasn't so muddled.

Normally the self-proclaimed matriarch would jump out of her skin if they accidentally brushed hands, but last night…

Anna sat up, one hand shot up to clasp her lower face in a death grip but she stopped just moments before. Did she really? No, that couldn't be. Anna smiled incredulously, nervously as she flopped back onto the whiney mattress. Her hand was still hovering inches from her face, fingers flexing in the same way she felt against her hips the night prior.

**Ads: I have no idea what you're talking about**

**Ooflaf: oh sweet Anna, you best not forgot**

**Ooflaf: Our home may be large but our ears are sharp**

**Ooflaf: and Elsa's follies are few but memorable**

**Ads: why are you talking like that**

**Ooflaf: I thought itd sound cool :1**

Anna tittered, still very much in denial. There was just no way that she could have done  _that_ —with Elsa no less. And yet the taste of a bad mixer was slowly surfacing. Her fingers curled, till they settled on her lips.

**Ads: nice try?**

**Ooflaf: ANYWAY**

**Ooflaf: I heard y'all rounded bases**

**Ads: omg ask shy don't u ask Elsa she was probably the most sober out of the two of us she'd remember a lot bettrr**

**Ooflaf: Elsa would skewer me on the spot tbnt**

**Ads: maybe I should take a few tips from her then**

The longer she thought about it the harder she clung to repression like a desperate child. She remembered how careful she was of Elsa's surprisingly pointed teeth, a habit she picked up from a particular past lover. The stark but arousing contrast of heat between lips and tongue, "And there was a humming? No—no there wasn't because it didn't happen. Nope, nothing happened."

**Ooflaf: Elsa and Anna sitting in a tree~**

Anna swung her legs out of the covers and over the side of her bed. She had to get ready for her classes, talk to Sven and Kristoff, call her grandparents, grocery shop—literally anything that did not involve last night.

**Ads: ANYWAY I gotta go bye**

* * *

 

Between a rock and a hard place Anna wasn't quite sure where she would want to be; So she chose to stall in the canned goods aisle of her local market. Anna wasn't really one for cans but there was a good sale on soup.

She wasn't one to pass up on a good sale, "Loaded potato, chicken noodle, Italian wedding, Els—oh my fuc—french onion…" Anna praddled off as she plucked cans from the shelf and into her basket. After the seventh can she settled into a squat in front of the tomato soup and dropped her head against her knees.

It was stuck on the forefront of her mind and she was starting to hate it; the unusual thrumming she felt wrapped in soft, cool ivory. The gentle yet biding nature of the hold on her waist. It was an amazing experience—an amazing amalgam of kisses and smells and sights, as brief as those were.

Elsa was a damn good kisser but like most things associated with a typical Elsa: it left Anna just as annoyed as she was intrigued.

Frustrated, she decided, was the right word. She groaned loudly and rubbed her forehead against her kneecaps, "And you asked for  _more!_ What is wrong with you?!"

"Anna?"

She winced at the disbelieving tone and hissed to herself, "Crap."

Alas, her stalling had come to an end: it was Sven. He was the lesser of all the evils and yet she could still feel her skin crawling. This was probably the worst way to meet, in the grocery store in the middle of the day, with her allegedly talking to the soup section.

"Hey Sven, what's up?" Anna offered a small wave. He raised a hand but then froze midwave like a deer in headlights.

She furrowed her brows, confused as to why; And then Kristoff appeared. Double crap, she thought. He turned into the aisle with a certain ire that left her stomach six feet under.

Kristoff started as he made his way over to her, "Anna holy fuck we've been worried about you—"

Anna stood up, palms open and held defensively towards her heated friend. His normally ruddy cheeks were now a solid red. "I know! I know, I'm sorr—"

"No! You don't know! You don't know them, or their agenda, or what the  _hell_  they can do. You were stuck there overnight with these dangerous ass people, and you think the best course of action was to ignore us? Your friends? Your first response?"

"I just wanted some space."

"Space? In a house of strangers who could very well be first class criminals. Your survival skills are as sharp as ever," Kristoff scoffed as he crossed his arms over his barrel chest. He was too angry to let up.

"Stop calling them criminals!"

"Well what else can I call them Anna? They're on a  _watchlist_ , a royal watchlist for crying out fucking loud! They could've killed you."

"They, are  _not_  murderers. They are  _sweet_  and  _polite_ , and understand personal boundaries," Anna corrected him again with an even voice. She was trying to maintain her own anger.

"Oh so you've been around them for what? A week? And suddenly you can speak for their character? I think we've both learned a few lessons about jumping the gun," He spat.

She felt her blood start to boil, "You know what? I think the problem here is that  _you_  don't know them, and it pisses you off that there's some part of my life that you can't fit your nose in!"

"That I can't fit my nose in—you're out of line!"

"Kristoff! Guys! Can we maybe do this elsewhere," Sven said as he neared the two. Kristoff shot out a hand behind him, open palmed. He didn't want a mediator and neither did Anna. Sven obeyed, uncertain.

She laughed, more shocked than humored. They were inches away from each other's faces. It was almost a comical site, this small fiery woman staring down an angry mountain man nearly twice her size. "I'm out of line?  _I'm_ , out of line? Did you stress eat a book on parenting."

That seemed to light the fuse. Anna took two steps forward and Kristoff took one back. His expression was still set in an unyielding snarl but the more Anna glared, the more hurt she could see mixed in the anger, "It's like I—I can't  _not_  be okay around you without you turning into some white knight with a helicopter! It's like your trust and respect for me just flies out the fucking window—"

"It's not that I don't trust you—"

"Ap-bup-bup, no. You don't. As far as I'm concerned, you don't. Because it sure as hell doesn't feel like you do when I gotta report back to you every hour just to ward off a phone call."

Kristoff threw his hands up in exasperation, but faltered when Anna flinched. It was a small, almost seamlessly twitch but it was enough to throw Kristoff off. He yelled, "It's called checking up on you! Wondering if you're  _safe_ , and breathing! And not bleeding out in some abandoned building out there."

The last part slipped out, but he couldn't take it back. Sure it was a public space but it felt like the whole building went silent to the three of them.

A silence that Anna broke with formidable volume, eyes glossy and only seeing red, "It's been four years! I don't need a stand-in dad and I sure as  _hell_  don't recall hiring a bodyguard so why don't you just fuck off! I'm trying to move on, Kristoff. Really, I am. B-but you make it so  _god_  damn hard to so why don't you just… stay out of it."

Discretion was thrown completely out the window, and without a doubt everyone in the area where now tuned in to the conversation. His mouth opened but then clacked shut into a snarl, as if he was fighting his own words. Kristoff took a step back before pushing past her towards the store exit.

Anna felt it like it was hard to breathe, as if the weight from yesterday had resituated itself on her chest. She was curling in on herself; arms tangled securely over her aching bosom. She wheezed, "Fuck."

Sven quickly rushed to her side and clasped her shoulders, alarmed. "Whoa, hey hey hey, just breathe."

She tried but her breaths were shallow and uneven, she took a fist full of her jacket in each hand. Anna fought back the urge to kneel with every fiber of her being. It was hard to see past the fat tears threatening to spill past her lashes, her refusal to cry was just as strong.

Anna was angry. Angry at herself for being an angry crier, upset that this happened in a grocery store, pissed at Kristoff for confronting her this way, and that he was right. But he was also wrong, so very wrong. And most of all, once again, livid that she was freaking out in the soup section at noon.

"Anna, honey, look at me okay? Long and slow breaths, long and slow," Sven had leaned down some get closer to her eye level. He demonstrated with exaggerated chest puffing and audible exhales until Anna complied.

She took comfort in the shoulder rubs and gentle tone Sven adopted. Anna wiped her eyes clumsily and tried to sniff as discreetly as possible. He continued, a tad ashamed, "I'm sorry, I should of intervened. I didn't think he'd get that riled up."

"Kristoff's a jerk," Anna muttered as a reply. The declaration was clumsy and lacked the depth she wanted to really convey, but it was the best summary she could give at the moment. Her throat burned.

It was still something they could agree on. Sven sighed as he checked his phone with one hand, the other still perched on Anna's shoulder, "Yeah, Kristoff can be a jerk. He said he's taking a walk, luckily I have the car keys. Why don't you head out to the car, I'll take care of your soup stash along with my groceries."

"Y...yeah okay," she reached into her purse but Sven shook his head, holding out the keys for her.

"No no don't worry about it, my treat."

* * *

Normally she found the smell of Kristoff's car comforting, but it was only making her nauseous this time around. It's been a few hours since the grocery incident, she was past it for the most part. But she didn't want to talk to Kristoff for a day or two. Sven had insisted on giving her the ride to work, she wasn't entirely in a position to deny his kindness.

And as much as she didn't want to go to the Vynter estate after last night's fiasco, she knew Olaf would hold it over her head even more than what he already does.

She figured she'd already had one band aid ripped off, albeit reluctantly; she might as well rip the other off. Anna took a deep breath and knocked on the door, which was followed shortly by the usual gust of warm, sweet smelling air with an equally sweet but conniving voice.

"Heeeey lightweight," Olaf greeted as he waved at Sven. The caretaker lolled her head back and sighed. Olaf impish smile only grew as she went in for their usual "hello" hug.

"I'm not a lightweight, I had… five rounds! Five rounds of rum and coke, and like four beers!" Anna tossed her hands up with exasperation, "You guys are just, I don't know, living distilleries!"

"Rounds that you threw up afterwards, so they don't count," he countered as he helped her with her coat. His smile grew as he continued, "I wish I stayed a bit longer to record you idiots."

Anna rolled her eyes but thanked him as he tucked the coat in the closet for her. She decided to ask, "Where's Elsa?"

"You gonna ask for an encore, minus the game?"

" _Olaf_."

They started strolling down the hallway. He shrugged, "I think she's hauled up in her room, or the study. I don't know, she's been sneaking around… what, are you tryna avoid her?"

"Nnno… maybe," Anna sighed and buried her face in her hands, "It's just so embarrassing Olaf! You don't understand."

"You got drunk, she got tipsy, y'all kissed a bit… a lot. What's there not to understand?" Olaf shrugged. Anna only groaned as she rubbed her hands down her face. He used the moment to calculate and then whispered, "Unless you were into it?"

That sent Anna into a coughing fit, causing the pair to stop. Olaf was more interested in his theory than her well being. His hands flew to his cheeks as he whispered louder, more devious, "You  _liked_ it! Oh this is good, this is rich. There was tongue wasn't it?"

More coughing.

"You were  _dtf_."

She glared at him, shushing him aggressively through her coughs. It was hilarious, Olaf's energetic composure ran parallel to Anna's frantic, embarrassed one. She hissed, desperately, "Please!"

Much to her surprise, Olaf relented. His energy dialed back from an eight to a five. His smile still held that impish nature that they all seemed to share; A trait Anna was more annoyed with than fond of. It meant there was more she had to look forward to.

"If it makes you feel any better, Elsa's just as frazzled as you are—if not more," Olaf added after a bit. That made Anna pause.

"Is she getting teased as much as I am?"

He shrugged. "Well  _no_ , at least not by me. I value my hide."

The statement earned him a punch in the arm and an awfully clipped remark, "Not well enough it seems."

They decided to settle in the living room. The strained topic was soon replaced with video games and banter. And while she was glad that neither of the older siblings had made an appearance, Anna was still very restless.

Her memory still wasn't entirely clear—something she's decided to blame on the nasty whack on the head she'd received. Anna decided to back track once again. She remembered sitting on the counter, exchanging glasses of water for kisses that she now knew would never come. She remembered...

The caretaker shot up from her slouched position, alarmed and pale with worry. "Fuuuuck, fuck fuck fuck."

Olaf stared at her and parotted, "Fuck?"

"Fuck." He squinted, she dropped the controller in her lap and rubbed her temples, "I did something really fucking stupid."

Olaf squinted harder. "Something stupider than what you've already done?"

"Very, very fucking stupid," Anna reaffirmed him with mild panic. Her stomach was lurching again. She wasn't sure whether to she wanted to hide or talk to Elsa about it. Quitting suddenly sounded like a good idea.

No, Anna thought as she stood up, today was a day of confrontation. She wanted to do the confronting for once. "I'm gonna take a break," She said as she rounded the couch and jogged up the stairs. Anna didn't have a plan past finding Elsa. Improve was a nice skill she had, not her finest quality but it was valuable in tight situations.

What she did know, was that Elsa was a bit of a workaholic. And there were only so many places she could properly work, so Anna made her way to the study. She took a few moments to compose herself before opening the door and—Elsa wasn't there.

Nor was she in the music room next to it, or on the balcony, in the basement, kitchen, sun room, rec room, sitting room, laundry closet, certainly not the living room, definitely not the studio, or the guest room—which left the bedrooms on the second floor Anna had yet to touch.

It was very clear which door belonged to who. Olaf's door was littered with stickers and pop culture, Marshall's was graffitied with black sharpie—courtesy of a certain someone, and Elsa's was decorated with snowflakes.

Anna recalled how cute the blonde's reaction was when she teased her about the design. It was remnant of her childhood, something Elsa admitted she was too sentimental to paint over now that she was mature.

It was the first time Elsa appeared… relatable to her. Of course that moment was ruined afterwards with biting sarcasm but the caretaker treasured it. She inhaled deeply and twisted her sweater hem in her hands as she stood in front of the door.

Anna grumbled to herself and rapped her knuckles against the door, "Gods, why are you such a little shit today?"

Silence, as she expected but didn't particularly appreciate. She knocked again, almost tempted to just open the door. Anna's never seen the inside of the room.

"Elsa, I feel like you're in there. Can we talk?" The more Anna thought about it, the easier she found it to just message Elsa instead of going on a wild goose chase. Another sure fire way to get ignored and possible burn down all chances of being  _not_  awkward around each other. Anna shook her head, the conversation had to be in person. She heard a rustle, "Elsa?"

A few seconds passed and there was a small, short meow from the other side, but no accountable human response. Her spirits deflated, Anna was tempted to open the door, just to peek but she stopped when she touched the awfully cool handle.

It would be an invasion of privacy and a easy way to have Elsa hate her guts; so she sighed heavily for the umpteenth time that day, and sulked off. A problem for the another time, Anna reasoned they would be off that way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hhii! So since my finals are done (plus extra), updates will be returning to the intended schedule. or at least for the most part. thiss chapter was originally a lot longer, but it got chopped for better flow. sorry for the delay ; v;


	8. Chapter 8

Anna stormed into the estate with a certain fire that left the boys a bit baffled. Or rather, Marshall was really baffled. Olaf was absolutely charged by the energy. She was nothing if not determined to put Elsa on the spot.

She's had enough time to regain her gusto and think about the events over the past couple of days. While Anna hated to admit it, Kristoff was right. She  _didn't_  really know much about the small family, at least, not the things that mattered. Like why they were on the King's List, why did they have such amazing senses—why the house didn't have proper heating! Or a doorbell! Who in their right mind doesn't have a doorbell these days, especially for a home this big?

Surely Olaf wasn't waiting at the door for her knock everyday… At least the caretaker hoped not, but she wouldn't put it past him. It didn't help that the boys deflected her questions, insisting that her liege was the man of the hour.

Anna recalled Elsa's ominous statement when they first talked, and the continuous circle back to snowmankinesis. She was tired of the loop.

_You'd be surprised at what we are capable of._

Anna mocked the inciteful response under her breath as she charged up the stairs and through the halls, fists clenched and brows set. She didn't bother knocking as she barged into the study. "Hey!"

Elsa was scanning the bookshelves, her back facing the entrance. She tossed a glance over her shoulder before continuing her search. It wasn't much, but it was enough to put a dent in Anna's bravado. "Good evening."

"Hi." Anna closed the door behind her and leaned against it, palms pressed against the grain. She cleared her throat and tried again, "I have a bone to pick with you."

"A bone?"

More like a few scars and scabs. "Yes a bone, a few bones actually."

Elsa paused, Anna thought she caused it but turns out the blonde simply found an interesting book. "How's your head?"

"What?" Anna squinted and touched her temple lightly before turning a light shade of pink. Her voice trailed into an awkward silence as she took interest in the way Elsa ran her hands along old green leather. "Oh! I'm… okay. I've taken worse tumbles. Thanks for asking."

The elder woman quirked a brow, silently beckoning her to continue. Anna snapped out of her daze. She took a deep breath and squared her shoulders. Why was this suddenly so hard, she thought.

"It's  _because_  I've taken worse tumbles and - that you  _know_ thatI have, that I got uh… kneecaps to examine. Plus uhm, I can't entirely remember what I said that night after you put me in the guest room. So if you could fill me in on just how much of an idiot I was, that'd be great."

"Oka—"

Anna cut her off by accident, anxiety fueled, "And! I have other questions… some that are like, are related to the whole beer pong thing but not really? More long term serious questions. Not that the other topic isn't serious but these are pretty serious in a different respect I think…I'm word vomiting, I'm sorry."

Elsa waited a bit, just in case Anna had another splurge. She replied, evenly, "I won't ask about how you got them, or tell Marshall and Olaf about what I saw. It's not in my place to ask, or to share."

Anna sighed, a bit of weight fell off her shoulders before Elsa adds, "Quite the interesting tattoo, however. I wouldn't mind hearing the story behind it sometime, if its up for discussion."

Anna blushed and muttered a "thank you". She wasn't sure how to feel about the intimacy behind the compliment but it did make her chest a little warm. Elsa smiled and gestured towards the couches; It was the kind of smile Anna was used to seeing from the taller woman: small and too open for interpretation. She couldn't help but miss the radiant, carefree one she saw the other day.

They sat opposite of each other. Elsa busied herself with organizing the notes and books she had on the coffee table, not that it wasn't already fairly clean. Anna made note of the bottle of bourbon and the used glass.

"Did I say anything dumb?" That earned her a look.

"Dumber than usual?" Anna corrected herself.

Elsa's smile grew, amusement started to shine through. "You were actually quite the history enthusiast, when you weren't trying to flirt."

"Oh god, was it about Joan of Arc again?" She groaned as she buried her face in her hands. It wasn't a first for her.

"Nietzsche actually," the blonde corrected her this time, "As you dubbed it,  _Drunken Introspect: The Anna Dhale Show._  The pilot was a bit rough but I believe there's room for potential."

Anna held her cheeks and glared at her through the embarrassment, "Sounds like you like me better drunk."

"I think a lot of things are better with alcohol," Elsa clarified. It filled the conversational space but answered nothing, it was too vague for Anna. The caretaker personally preferred a tipsy Elsa, opposed to a sober one. She winced inwardly at the thought.

Anna sighed, "Well other than that, I didn't say anything… personal?"

"A few tiny anecdotes about your… clubbing endeavors and single life. But other than that, no."

She paled at the mention of clubbing. Anna thought it was best to change the subject  _just_  a bit, "Oookay! I'm gonna stop you there, I don't wanna know what I said. I might die on this couch if you retell the story I  _think_  I told you."

Elsa made a face. "Not on the upholstery please, it's such a hassle to clean."

Anna sighed and hesitantly asked, "Cool, moving on. So um… about… the kiss… ing?"

Of all the things, that was what caused Elsa to pause mid action. She quickly resumed and replied, "I don't think we need to dwell on it too much, it was just a game."

Ouch.

That stung, it shouldn't have but it did. Perhaps it was because it took Anna a lot to finally admit to herself that she enjoyed it. Elsa was absolutely right to dismiss it, given their whole situation but it  _still_  bothered her. It seemed as though she was taking too long to respond, because Elsa was giving her a cryptic look.

Anna cleared her throat, "Right, good, glad we're on the same page. It was unprofessional and I apologize out of formality. Now with that out of the way, on to my next question."

"Likewise, proceed."

"Why don't you guys own a doorbell?"

"It's unnecessary, we hear just fine."

Anna narrowed her eyes, "Nobody can hear that well."

She shrugged, "We can, especially Olaf."

The ginger huffed, not surprised that it was the mischief maker that could hear the best out of the three. She still was skeptical but decided to move on from it, "Oooh kay, then next question. How are you guys, like,  _alive_  after consuming that much alcohol."

"We have two livers and we burn calories like kerosene. Or at least, I have two livers. Marshall and Olaf have one and a half," Elsa responded casually, as if she was giving the weather. The coffee table was organized, which left her to whittle away at the bourbon. She offered Anna a glass silently, but was turned down.

"Extreme body temperatures? Hot mouth, icy skin? Sharp teeth?" A reference back to the kiss that Anna made on purpose. She managed to keep her cool somehow, but the blonde seemed to stall again.

"A byproduct of our physiology… and having sharp teeth is just a quirk."

"Super dim lighting?"

"Really good eyesight, saves on the electricity bill."

"Cold house?"

"Inefficient heater?"

"No I mean—why aren't  _you_  affected by it. I caught you  _literally_  chilling in a pile of snow outside a few days ago," Anna growled with a hand wave. Elsa's eccentric sleeping habits were an entire discussion on their own. She was getting exasperated.

Elsa merely shrugged, "We do have a high tolerance for the cold."

Anna glowered before snapping her fingers, her eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. "The thrumming!"

That actually made the blonde falter. She tilted her head. "Thrumming?"

"Buzzing, humming, I'm not sure. But when I uh, touch you guys I can feel it? It's weaker on Olaf but a lot stronger with you. It's like you run on a generator or something," Anna explained to the best of her ability. Her best wasn't exactly much.

Elsa hummed and nodded deeply… before concluding, "The snowmankinesis, my powers are stronger than Olaf's."

The caretaker threw up her hands, pique exasperation. "Aaand we're back to that!"

The humouresque look in Elsa's eyes didn't help, but it wasn't her fault. The older woman crossed one leg over the other and, for the first time since they've talked, chuckled, "I know it seems like I'm being difficult but, all my answers are true. You're just aren't asking the right questions."

"Like, are you human? I'm guessing? Because that's where I'm heading."

"No." A shortstop, Anna was a bit taken back by it.

"No?"

"We're not… human. At least as of late, they tell us we aren't. We're of the same genus, homo, but we aren't sapiens," Elsa clarified with a certain finality. Anna looked at her for a few moments before she laughed, "You're fucking with me."

"I can assure you, I'm not."

"So there's another homo class out in this world that has two livers, extensive hearing, high cold tolerance, advanced eyesight, sharp teeth and… snowmankinesis? As of late? Likke on some days you're human and other days you're not?"

"Plus some extra features but yes. You know how theories are, constantly being changed and disproven and then backed up again. We're genetic mutations some days, and other days we're just a seperate species entirely. Sometimes we're homo nivirius and a few years from now we'll probably be homo sapien cv. Nix again."

"Bull shit."

"I shit you not."

Anna tried to read her expression. It seemed genuine but it sounded too far fetched to be real. She gnawed on her bottom lip as she played with the idea, unsure whether she  _wanted_  to believe it. "Prove it."

The blonde shrugged and picked up the empty tumbler. She presented it like a magic trick, rotating the glass and giving Anna a clear view of all it's angles. "Now, keep in mind there is absolutely nothing in this glass."

"Uhuh…" Anna squinted. Elsa held a hand over the tumbler, her fingertips emitted a soft blue as snow like particles started to rise from her skin and clump together centimeters above her open palm.

In seconds they became a perfectly round, clear ice sphere that dropped in the tumbler as soon Elsa moved her hand aside. This normally took less than a second but the older woman thought a show was in order. She then gently placed the glass on the coaster and pushed it towards a dumbfounded Anna.

Ten seconds passed and the ginger still sat slack jawed and silent. Elsa didn't show it but she was beginning to worry that she broke her. Unsure of what to do and restriction free, now that her powers have been revealed, Elsa made a tiny snowball and flicked it at the caretaker's face.

"Pffffbbttb! Hey!" Anna flailed to wipe the snow from her face, but it disappeared in a flash of blue. She frantically looked around her surroundings for any traces but it was gone. Anna chalked it down to her imagination and decided she was going crazy.

She grinned smugly, but she was clearly shaken up over it. "Ha ha. Nice trick Elsa but it's gonna take a lot more than that to fool me."

"I  _literally_  just threw a snowball at your face," Elsa deadpanned.

"I don't see any snow," was her haughty retort, accompanied by arm crossing… Which earned her yet another, bigger, snowball to the face that  _didn't_  disappear after impact this time.

Anna coughed as she tried to clear her face and spit out the snow that got in her mouth. There was a different feel to the snow, just like how the snow on the mountain was different compared to in town. It had a denser, wetter quality to it: great for making snowmen.

When she got her vision back she was presented with Elsa, sitting with her hands folded in her lap. She was overtly smug, annoyingly satisfied.

Anna narrowed her eyes and growled, "You've been waiting to do that haven't youuu—y-you have ice powers! You make snow! Out thin air!" The ginger stood up frantically and pointed at the two snowballs floating on Elsa's right.

"Well not out of thin air but—"

"Hoooooly shit!"

The response actually pulled a small laugh out of the blonde, she dissipated the snowballs. She was a tad concerned however, "Are you alright?"

"Yeeaah…"Anna sat back down for the briefest moment before standing back up and pacing around, "No, no I'm not okay. I'm freaking out."

Elsa decided to have a drink as she watched the caretaker try and come to terms. A moment passed before Anna shouted from the opposite side of the room at no one in particular, "That is so cool!"

And then at the Elsa, "You're like Iceman! From X-men! O-or like Storm—no not storm, Emma Frost! That's it! Wait can you control liquid water or just, like, solid forms of it? You know what! Doesn't matter! It's badass regardless."

It was incredibly cute seeing Anna get excited over the discovery, heartwarmingly so. Being seen as cool rather than dangerous for a change made Elsa giddy. She fought the butterflies in her stomach. "I didn't take you for a comic enthusiast."

"I'm a fucking slut for X-Men!"

The ginger ran back, jumped over the back of the couch and sat down again. She was too excited to pay attention to Elsa's disapproval on how she handed her fine furniture. Anna was locked in puppy mode, "So like, what are the extents of your cryokinesis? Can you levitate too? Do you get frostbite if you use your powers for too long? Can control all kinds of ice and snow or just what you create? Is there anyone out there like you? Is this why Flynn has you on a watchlist?"

"I'm limiting your questions about cryokinesis to three per day. It's the general reason why we're on the watchlist."

Anna pouted at the limit but was too invested in the swing of conversation to complain about the whole thing, "Part of the reason? Do you guys have like a record or something?"

Elsa rubbed her neck, that aloof nature was seeping back into her voice, "One could put it that way, but it's not apart of the reason."

"Why? What did you do?"

"I don't feel comfortable sharing that with you." It was an honest, loaded response. It was brief, but Elsa truly did look uncomfortable with the the train of conversation.

Anna pursed her lips and weighed the pros and cons of pressing the subject. She decided to steer the topic back, despite the red flag she was seeing. She asked with a wry smile, "What makes the lemon man think I can handle you guys?"

"I don't think the bastard does," Elsa said, "The decision was made based on old, distorted history and no one ever bothered to reconsider. You just happen to be the unlucky offspring of an unlucky family…"

She quickly added, "No disrespect to your lineage, it's just…"

Anna waved her off, that wry smile still in place, "No I get it. Trust me I'm well aware of the hand life gave me. You guys aren't much better off—I mean, you can  _control ice_   _and snow_! But you all seem… I don't know. But you especially seem… miserable? Oh god I don't mean  _miserable_  miserable just… trapped? Resigned? I don't have the right words for it, but there must be a huge trade off going on for you."

"Resigned is probably the best word," Elsa confirmed. Miserable actually was, but she didn't want to admit it.

"So, Almighty Snow Slinger, is there a limit to your ice magic?" Anna quickly filled the gap with another question before the tension could settle. The stream of conversation was more like a minefield.

A chuckle. "Ice magic?"

"Please, as if snowmankinesis is any better," she retorted.

"It is  _so_  much better than ice magic," Elsa insisted, "I can't give you a proper estimate of my powers. I've never willingly used them on a massive scale and they grow as we mature."

"You've never… willingly?" Another red flag.

"You've exceeded your question limit, sorry. Try again tomorrow," was the curt response she received. Anna felt like she just got dealt a crappy cliffhanger.

She huffed, "What! That's not fair!"

"Sounds fair to me," Elsa dismissed her with a shrug. The tumbler was suddenly back in her hand, her expression was hidden behind spirits and glass. The older woman was smooth, cool in her composure; But Anna was nothing if not a quick study. She'd learn how to read the frosty enigma soon enough.

"I've only used like…" The caretaker took a moment to count on her fingers and debate to herself; which once again, left Elsa humored.

Anna held up a single digit and exclaimed, "You've answered one! One question about your powers! I have two more."

"Technically I answered three and gave a presentation. You've exceeded today's limit," Elsa retaliated with a certain finality that only egged Anna on.

" _Technically?!_  No no no, those don't count! They were before you made a question limit. I still have two left."

"I don't recall saying anything about them  _not_  counting."

"That's so… so  _american_ of you. Capitalism!" Anna declared, both appalled and betrayed—more so for comedic effect than anything. And it was worth it, Elsa choked on the bourbon. She cleared her throat with a laugh she couldn't contain, "I'm sorry?"

"With all the bad parts of capitalism you… you American!" Anna pointed a finger accusingly, her distraught expression was clearly fake.

The blonde raised a brow, "I didn't know that was a possible insult."

"Yeah, well, I think it fits you perfectly, " The caretaker huffed as she crossed her arms. Really she just blurted the first thing that came to mind and went with it. It worked, it seemed, Elsa's guarded smile had fallen victim to her humor—or better phrased, her boisterous behaviour.

Elsa conceded, "Two more, on a different line of thought please."

"But why?" Anna blurted out, once again before she could stop herself. She cringed at her own lack of manners. The guard she had effectively dismantled was back again, but the words that followed discouraged her more.

"I don't trust you."

The caretaker bit the inside of her lip. She couldn't blame Elsa, but the sentiment still stung. She swallowed the hurt and replied, "Yeah that's fair. I don't…"

Anna chuckled nervously, picking up where she trailed off, "I'm not entirely sure about you guys either. That's why I wanted to know—but that's fine! When you're ready, when I'm ready, whenever that may be."

Elsa observed her, eyes narrowing ever so slightly as she tilted her head to the side. She seemed almost… unsure to Anna. She asked evenly, "What else would you like to know about our cryokinesis, before we move on from this."

"What does it feel like when you use your power? Is there like a pressure or vibration, etcetera…"

"I don't believe I can explain that properly, it depends. Sometimes it slips out without my knowledge, other times it's like breathing after holding your breath for a really long time. Based on our physiology, I'd say it's very similar to doing cardio exercises. I've never used it to the point where I've tired myself out but Marshall and Olaf have," Elsa pondered as she idly rubbed her thumb against her palm. "What's next?"

"Uhh…" Anna scratched her chin before asking, "So are you all equally strong? Cryo wise I mean—or do you all have the same potential of strength, would be the better way to put it? You said your powers get stronger as you get older so I guess what I'm trying to ask is if, say, Marshall will generate as much power as you do when he is twenty… four?"

"Twenty- _three_. And no, he won't. The distribution of power gets cut in half with every child one has. The oldest will inherit one hundred percent of that potential, the second child will only receive fifty, the third: twenty-five, so on and so forth. However, this rule can be cheated by…"

Elsa muttered, slightly embarrassed by her rambling, "Well if I were to continue that'd be an entire tangent on it's own but—"

She stalled again, Anna's intrigued expression made her choke on her words. She cleared her throat and blushed, "Marshall and Olaf won't be as strong as me, as far as cryokinesis goes. Or at least, if I die at twenty-five, Marshall will have to be fifty to match me in cryo strength. But as the potential declines, it's compensated with other attributes. Olaf has far better hearing and dexterity than Marshall and I. Marshall excels in strength and stamina. The less power you have the more control you have over it. If I had a choice I would much rather be the youngest in a group of three."

"And that's just the comparison between the three of you. Overall you guys are… above the average human," Anna commented, more to herself than to her hostess. Her elbows were planted on her knees during Elsa's explanation, her hands were strung together as she was hooked on every word.

Anna was still digesting the information. She had a lot more questions to ask but with the amount of times she's pressed the blonde today she thought it was best to save it for another time. The caretaker sat back, till her crown connected with the back of the couch. She sighed, "So when you said you'd be surprised at what you're capable of… you meant it in the most literal sense."

Elsa wasn't sure if Anna was looking for the obvious response, or was simply drawing a conclusion to the information she had just been bombarded with. Elsa turned the bottle of bourbon to herself and examined the label. She offered the only thing she really knew to when in doubt, "Would you like a drink? I could make you hot chocolate if you'd like."

Anna shrugged after a moment of silence. "A spiked hot chocolate sounds great right now."

* * *

The day certainly took a different turn than what Anna had expected. She wasn't sure how she managed to find out so much yet still know so little, it left her feeling frustrated. And while she did appreciate the kinder, more patient side Elsa displayed as they relaxed in the kitchen with hot cocoa, it only muddled her thoughts of the blonde. Which left her even  _more_  frustrated.

In the end, all she had to show for today's efforts were her flushed cheeks and a decent sized manila folder filled with documents Elsa thought would help. She waved goodbye to Olaf and Marshall, a little sad that the eldest Vynter didn't want to see her off.

"Hey Sven, thanks for giving me a ride," Anna sighed as she swung herself into the passenger seat, having yet to spare a glance at her driver for the evening.

"No problem," Kristoff murmured, causing the ginger to freeze just before she shut the car door. She closed it after a pause, all the stress from before was piling back on her chest.

She corrected herself, "Kristoff, sorry."

"Yup…" Was the equally bland reply. Anna didn't need to look to know he was sharing the same trepid expression. Kristoff added awkwardly, "I mean—unless you want Sven to come get you. Or call an Uber? I was already on the road so I figured, y'know, efficiency."

Anna shook her head slowly, eyes still trained on everything but him, "No this fine, I appreciate the ride."

Kristoff sighed and rubbed a sweaty palm against his thigh, "Okay."

"Okay…"

"Cool."

"Yup."

Kristoff glanced at her briefly before shifting the car into drive. "Right, driving." They both silently thanked the gods for car radios. Anna felt her phone vibrate.

**Svenny:**   **oops :3c**

**Annanana: youre terrible**

**Svenny: ;3cc**

Driving on the North Mountain was a tad risky on a good autumn day. On a snowy winter night however, it was very close to being stupid. It didn't stop the locals from doing it, as much as it should. Superior tire brands and chain sleeves didn't have much say on the winding, steep slopes. Anna learned this lesson the hard way. Kristoff was trying his best to remain slow on the slushed road, more for his friend's sake than his; But the tense silence really made him want to take his foot off the breaks.

Once they reached the first red light off the mountain Kristoff found his voice, "I'm sorry, by the way… About overreacting the other day. I don't mean to be a white knight with a helicopter, or a bodyguard, or a… stand-in dad."

"It was wrong of me to treat you like you are anything less of an equal, and as if you're fragile. It's just—I got scared okay? I  _get_  scared when things are out of my control or at least beyond me. I need to learn how to handle things better— _no_ , trust people when things are out of my reach. Which is something I'm working on. Well, something I've been working on."

Anna sighed as she rested her temple against the car window, "It's- I know it comes from a good place when you're… like that, angry and all. But sometimes I can't shake the thought you're expecting me to fuck up, and it makes me feel even shittier when I actually do, y'know? It sucks thinking that your best friend can't put their faith in you. I think you've already figured out that I didn't mean it when I said i wanted you, like, out of my life…"

She chuckled mostly to herself, "Wow that sounded so cringey—but, I don't… But I also don't want to be rescued. I don't  _need_ to be rescued, I need your support when I can't carry everything on my own. And a shoulder to lean on when I'm just… tired. Like how you let me support you, y'know? I want to lean on you, the same way you get to lean on Sven and I. And I think Sven would like that too."

Kristoff wracked a hand through his hair, "Oh man… I've really dropped the ball recently, haven't I? I'm going to duct tape it to my hand this time. I have no entitlement to what goes on in your life and how you choose to live it, I'm just glad to be apart of it. Feel free to kick my ass if you ever catch me violating your privacy and-slash-or perceiving you as naive."

When Anna didn't say anything, Kristoff dutifully added, "And I'm sorry about calling the Vynter family a bunch of murderous criminals. You're right, I don't know them at all, it was wrong of me to judge them like that… Aaand it was wrong of me to throw the past in your face to win an argument… and make you feel as though you can't talk to me when you're not okay…"

Kristoff groaned out the last part and gently banged his head against the steering wheel at the next red light they came across, "I've been a major douche recently I'm sorry."

Anna pursed her lips, she waited a few seconds to make sure that he was for sure done before asking, "Ya done?"

"Yeah… I think, yeah."

She nodded before lightly punching his arm, "Well for starters,  _thanks_  dad."

The ginger made sure he saw her cockeyed smile, so he knew she was joking. Kristoff sighed in relief but he hadn't quite unwinded from the tension. Anna shrugged, "And it wasn't as if you  _weren't_  wrong about me not knowing them well enough. I actually had a talk with them today. Well, with Elsa. I found out something really…  _out there_. I'm still trying to wrap my head around it."

Anna pinched the bridge of her nose with both of her pointers and laughed, "It was only one topic but it was so much on it's own, and it created so many more questions on top of the ones I already had… Did that make any sense?"

"Sssorta? What did you find out?" Kristoff knitted his brows together and glanced between her and the road.

Anna smiled at him apologetically. "I can't tell you, confidentiality and all." She remembered the chilling, threat laced warning Elsa had given her after their hot cocoa. One thing Anna's come to notice and respect, was that Elsa always placed her brothers' safety above all. No else could know about what the North Mountain held. Kristoff nodded, lips pursed.

"Got it."

She tossed her hands up, resigned, "Anyhow she compiled this little folder of documents she thought would help me with processing and stuff! There were a few questions that are still up in the air but I figured if we got to know each other some more things would come easier."

The blonde shrugged. "Well how important were the questions?"

"Pretty uh… pretty important to me."

"Did you  _tell_  her that they were important to you?" His eyes were starting to narrow.

"I didn't push it. She seemed really uncomfortable with them. And it's not as if she didn't answer them, just not all of them," Anna clarified.

Kristoff hummed as he pulled up to the curb and shifted the car into park. "Well, I hope that sorts itself out eventually."

"Yeah, me too." Anna replied tiredly as she patted the folder in her lap. She unbuckled her seatbelt and leaned over to give Kristoff a long awaited hug, the larger man squawked as her papers fell to the floor of his car but she paid it no mind.

Kristoff returned the hug after the initial shock had died. His gentle hold turning into a playful, affectionate squeeze that Anna fought to return just as hard. But she could only do so much with so little arm length. "I'm still going to check up on you twice a day… once a day. Because I like to know how my friends are doing, and I love you… because you are my friend," he muttered.

Anna giggled as she pulled away, her spine was starting to complain from the awkward angle. She collected the folder and contents off the floor, along with her bag, "You're a true friend Kristoff."

"Pick you up tomorrow for Holly's?"

She smiled, though she couldn't quite match Kristoff's dopey grin. She was never able to, as much as it pained her. It was better off that way. "Yeah, get home safe Kris."

As usual, he didn't drive off until she was secure inside the building. In the comfort of her apartment, Anna collapsed on her worn couch. Her home was humble but she loved it with all she had, her sanctum of privacy. She thought back to the conversation she had over sweet, comfort cocoa as she sipped her own freshly made mug.

_So how would you go about reviewing your life up to this very moment?_

It wasn't nearly as good as the thick concoction Elsa had made for her before. Bargain brand hot cocoa could only go so far but it was nice nonetheless; Nothing a few extra marshmallows and cocoa powder couldn't fix. Anna focused on the television and tried to distract herself from the visuals of the memory: Elsa leaning against the far counter, her smile small and relaxed. Fatigue weighed on her eyelids but she looked homely with the red mug in her hands. Why did she only ever seem relaxed at a distance?

_Three out of five stars._

_A bit of a fixer upper but definitely worthwhile… if you like constantly being thrown for a loop._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wHEEZES. im too free flow for schedules /o/ it comes when it comes and im too eager to share. someone's gonna get their heart curb stomped in the near future, new characters, cocktail dresses, and uhh... blood. quite a bit of blood. very messy. But also soft stuff! Like pining, cuddles, and fluff! In no particular order :) To be quite honest I thought it had only been a month since I last updated, i would of posted sooner. Time can really slip past ya.
> 
> Thank you for your patience ; v; n kudos

**Author's Note:**

> Juuust a quick clarification that since this is a rewrite of the original story (don't worry I own it), there will be changes in characterization and events... unless I decide otherwise. So while the older version is still available, be wary :^). Thanks for reading! And following along if you're WS vet!


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